Cursed
Date: 2014-10-30 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Romance; Aliens; Erotica; Science Fiction; Paranormal; Science Fiction Romance; Fantasy; Paranormal Romance; Erotic Romance; Futuristic
Description: Commander Stavros Rii of the Kindred is a Sin Eater - thick black lines cover his back and neck causing him to feel the pain of others. It is a curse that threatens to shorten his life and makes him unable to bond with a female - not that he's ever found one he wants to bond with. Until he meets Charlie... Charlie Sayers is an agent with the Earth Protection Bureau - and anti Kindred agency dedicated to ridding the world of the big aliens. Charlie joined the EPB out of a sense of patriotism but she has her own reasons to hate the Kindred. But she has bigger problems than the Kindred at the mom
Publisher: E.A. Publishing

Brides of the Kindred

Book 13: Cursed

Evangeline Anderson

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Evangeline Anderson on Smashwords

Brides of the Kindred

Book 13: Cursed

Copyright © 2014 by Evangeline Anderson

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

Cursed: Brides of the Kindred 13

Chapter One

Commander Stavros Rii slipped out of his shuttle—which had converted itself to look like one of the small vehicles Earthlings called “cars”—and shut the door softly. He made certain the small craft was well hidden behind a screen of bushes that edged the narrow dirt road—more of a track, really—before he left it.

A glance at the moon told him it was nearly midnight—the perfect time for a secret recognizance mission. Not that he wanted to be up in the middle of the night—he found it irritating and ridiculous. But it was necessary, at least for now, as was the fact that he was currently hiding in a cabin in the woods outside of Asheville instead of working honestly, out in the open as he ought to be.

Stavros sighed. All this sneaking around was wearing on him. In the years he’d been stationed on Earth, he had been able to drive openly to and from the HKR building and anywhere else he needed to go. Now that the Earthlings had declared war, he and his kind were outlawed. Which meant he had to resort to hiding in shadows just to get back to his office.

He wouldn’t even be going back now if it wasn’t for the feeling he kept getting in his mind. It was a kind of internal itching or tickling and he knew what it meant—someone desperately wanted to talk to him. Someone was trying to bespeak him using a Think-me but somehow the Earthlings had jammed the communications systems between the planet and the Mother Ship. Only the viewscreens with direct lines were still any good. Luckily, the Asheville HKR was one of those few. So Stavros was trying to make his way as quickly and quietly to his old office as he could in the dead of night in order to communicate with the Mother Ship and find out what they wanted.

Off in the distance a siren sounded and Stav froze where he stood. He’d been certain for part of his trip that some agents of the newly created Earth Protection Bureau were following him, though he had made his shuttle/car look as nondescript as possible. The EPB was tasked with hunting down and locking up any Kindred who were still on Earth and Stavros didn’t have time to be locked up just now. Not with the Mother Ship urgently trying to contact him. The sound of the siren faded off into the distance and he gave a sigh of relief. His earlier suspicion that they were following him was probably ridiculous. After all, how could they know where he was or even that he was here at all?

He and Garron and Tess were staying in a cabin far back in the woods which belonged to a friend of Tess’s. They were fine people and Stavros had stayed with them voluntarily because he refused to abandon his post. He firmly believed no Kindred should be left behind without a comrade at arms to back him up. But though they were the nicest couple, living with them could be a bit…wearing. Mostly because the two of them were newly bonded and couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

Not that Stav minded all their loving looks and cutesy nicknames for each other but he’d spent most of his adult life avoiding romance and relationships. Calling a bride as most warriors did, wasn’t an option for him. A Sin Eater didn’t have a long lifespan and bonding a female to him wouldn’t have been responsible or right, not when he knew he would probably die before he reached forty.

Stavros pushed aside the morbid thought of his own death and began walking. He made his way confidently across the rocky field, never stumbling once. Kindred had excellent night vision—much better than humans. Which was why he was able to spot the two people stumbling along in the darkness long before they had a chance to see him. Stav wrinkled his nose—he could smell them too. They had just come out of the local tavern behind them called aptly enough, Bad Decisions, and it looked like they were doing their best to live up to the name of their drinking establishment.

“C’mon, baby—just one more drink,” the male was saying. He looked to be in his early twenties, as did the girl. The two of them were probably students at the local learning establishment—The University of North Carolina, Stavros thought it was called.

“No, Billy! I told you, I need to go. I have an exam tomorrow,” the girl replied. She had already drunk more than she really wanted and her stomach was rolling—Stavros could feel it, just as he felt the small paper cut on her left hand and the dull headache starting behind her right eye.

He pushed the pain away automatically. Almost from birth he’d been subject to the aches and pains of others and though he could never completely turn them off, he had found ways to block them in a fairly substantial way when he concentrated. He never could have become a warrior otherwise.

Most of the Cursed—the strange subset of Blood Kindred who were also called Sin Eaters—lived quiet lives away from others. A life of solitude and isolation was pretty much the only way to guarantee anything like a normal life span for someone who was constantly subjected to the pain of everyone around them. But Stavros didn’t want that kind of life—didn’t want to die having never really lived. He preferred to take the pain.

Not that creeping around in the dark like this is much of a life, whispered a sarcastic little voice in his head. But what else could he do?

Keeping to the shadows at the back of the building, he began edging around the human couple who were now having a full-blown argument. He sent a silent thank you to the Goddess that at least he didn’t have to endure their emotions. Only physical pain and distress made its way through the strange conduit that existed between himself and the outside world. But Stav would far rather feel pain than the emotional drama playing out in front of him.

“Why’re you being such a bitch for, Meg?” the human male demanded. “Swear to God, you’re always whining about fuckin’ exams!”

“Maybe because I want to pass them,” the girl snapped back. “I’m not here on a football scholarship like some people and I don’t have rich parents to back me up if I fail. Look, I told you I could only stay for a few minutes and you said you were okay with it. Can you please just take me back to the dorm now?”

“Alright, fine. But first…” The male pulled the female to him and cupped one breast in his hand. Stavros felt the girl’s pain as he squeezed just a little too hard.

“Hey!” The girl tried unsuccessfully to push him away. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Gettin’ paid.” The male’s tone had turned ugly. “C’mon, baby—I took you out and bought you a drink. You gotta give me a little something for my trouble.”

“No, I don’t! We’ve been out exactly twice. What makes you think I owe you just because you bought me a lukewarm Budweiser in a lousy bar?”

“I could’ve brought Candice Perkins or Lacey Owens,” he pointed out. “Either one of them would’ve put out. But no—I brought you because you’re hotter.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel good or obligated to you in some way?” The girl shook her head and tried once again to step away but the male wouldn’t let her go. “I guess this is what I get for going out with a Neanderthal in the first place. Let me go!”

“I don’t think so. This Neanderthal isn’t going home without a little something,” the male insisted, pulling her closer. “C’mon, baby—just a quick hook-up.” He started to lower her to the ground but the girl screamed and kicked out at him.

Her high heeled shoe made contact with his shin and Stavros winced at the sharp pain that shot down his own leg. Despite the momentary discomfort, he applauded the human female. The male was being overbearing and demanding things he had no right to demand. Good for the female for defending herself! For a moment Stav had been afraid he would have to intervene which wouldn’t be good, considering he was trying not to be noticed.

But his relief was short lived.

“Oh no you don’t you little bitch! You’re gonna pay for that!” Quickly, the male reached out and grabbed the retreating female. He caught the back of her blouse and yanked, pulling her abruptly back down to the ground where she landed with a painful thump which knocked the wind out of her lungs. Consequently, she had no breath to cry out when the male climbed on top of her, crushing her down into the stony ground below.

Stavros couldn’t feel her fear but he could see it in her eyes—and he could see the male’s drunken, leering triumph as he kicked her legs apart.

“Just a quick hook-up,” he was panting eagerly, no doubt bathing her face in alcoholic fumes. “You don’t even have to do a thing—just lay there and enjoy it, baby.”

“No! N—” Her screams were cut off when the drunk male clapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes went wide with terror but though she thrashed wildly, it was clear she wasn’t going to be able to get away on her own.

All right—this has gone far enough. As much as he wanted to keep quiet and not advertise his presence, Stav knew he couldn’t stand by and watch this happen. This male—drunk or not—was the lowest form of life—the kind that would hurt a female or child without thinking twice about it unless someone stopped him.

Let’s see how you like being the helpless one! Coming up from behind, Stavros leaned over and hooked one muscular arm around the drunk male’s neck.

The male was so intent on the girl pinned beneath him that he hardly seemed to notice until Stavros tightened his grip. Then he gasped and his fingers flew to his throat.

“Hey, man! I—akk!” he choked as Stav pealed him up off the frightened, crying girl.

“The lady says she doesn’t want any part of you,” he growled in the male’s ear. “I suggest you take her at her word and leave her alone.”

“Let…me go,” the male gasped. “Wasn’t…gonna hurt her. Just…having fun.”

“Right, because rape is so much fun for the one getting raped,” growled Stav. “I hope you’ve just had too much to drink and you don’t really think this is the way to treat a female. If it is, you ought to have your balls cut off to keep you from hurting anyone else.” He drew a long, curving knife—a ceremonial blade that was more for show than for any use as a practical weapon—and tapped the male’s denim covered crotch with the tip. “Is that what you want?” he growled.

When there was no answer, Stav poked him in the thigh with the tip, just enough to draw blood. He could feel the sharp little pain himself in his own thigh so he knew he wasn’t anywhere near close to cutting off the drunken male’s equipment. If he had been, he would have felt the agony in his own most sensitive areas. Though it would cause him no lasting damage, inflicting that kind of pain was something he would rather avoid. Standing this close to the male and having direct contact with him meant it would be next to impossible to screen out. Still, if it was the only way to make his point…

But from the way the drunk and abusive male reacted, it was clear he was getting the idea Stavros was trying to put across. In fact, anyone watching would have thought that Stav had cut off one of his balls already.

“No, man! Swear to God, please let me go!” The other male’s voice was shaky with tears.

"Are you going to leave this female alone and never bother her again?" Stav demanded. "And refrain from forcing yourself on any other females in the future?"

"Yes!" the male sobbed. "I…I sw-swear! I won't bother no one ever again!"

"That's good." Stav poked him in the thigh again. "Because if you do I'll have to come back and finish the job."

But this threat appeared to be too much. The drunk male sobbed again and his bladder let go in a rush, filling the air with the sharp reek of ammonia.

With a curse, Stav jumped back, barely keeping the black flight leathers he wore from getting covered in the other male’s urine.

“Sorry, I’m sorry!” the male blubbered. Turning, he ran away, stumbling across the stony field and nearly falling headfirst several times in his haste to get as far from Stavros as he could.

Well, that’s him taken care of. With a sigh, Stav turned to make sure the girl was all right. She was still lying on the ground, breathing hard.

“Are you all right, my lady?” Stavros asked courteously. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Can I help you up?”

He reached out a hand for her but she scrambled backwards, her eyes filled with fear.

“Look, I’m not going to hurt you.” Stav raised his hands in a gesture of peace and realized he was still holding his knife. Quickly, he sheathed it and reached for her again. “If you’ll just let me help you up…”

“Get away from me!” The girl stumbled to her feet on her own, staring at Stavros. “Get away!”

“It’s all right,” he tried to reassure her, stepping back. “No one’s going to hurt you. You can go.”

“You…you’re a Kindred!” she yelled, pointing a finger at him. “You’re not supposed to be here anymore! Leave me alone!”

“I’m not trying to hurt you.” Stavros fought to keep his voice level and calm. Couldn’t she see that he’d just saved her?

“I know what you guys do—you abduct women and take them up to your ship,” the girl accused him. “Well, we don’t have to put up with that anymore! The President came on TV and said the draft is over. So you stay away from me!”

“I’m not trying to claim you!” This time Stav couldn’t keep the irritation out of his voice. “I don’t have any interest in claiming you or any other female. Look, never mind—I will just go.” He started to back away from her but suddenly something hard and cold was jammed in his back.

“I don’t think so, Kindred,” a soft, feminine voice purred in his ear. “You’re coming with me. You’re under arrest by orders of the Earth Protection Bureau.”

Chapter Two

He was a big son-of-a-bitch, but then all the Kindred were. Charlie wasn’t intimidated by his size in the least. The bigger they were and all that. She kept her gun jammed in his ribs as she reached for her reinforced cuffs—the ones made of titanium alloy and strong enough to hold an angry elephant—or an angry Kindred. And this one certainly didn’t seem to be happy.

“You’re making a mistake,” he growled in a deeper-than-human voice that raised the hackles on the back of her neck.

“I don’t think so. Hands behind your back—now,” Charlie barked. For a moment she thought the big warrior would balk but with a muffled curse, he finally complied with her command.

Despite the fact that the cuffs were specially made for Kindred, it was still a tight squeeze. He had extremely muscular arms and the cuffs were made to fit around the wrists and forearms both, forming a double barrier against escape. The wrist parts went on fine but his forearms were going to bear some marks—not that Charlie cared.

“I was not attacking that female,” he said, clearly thinking she had the wrong idea. “Another male was. I drove him off and tried to help her up.”

“I know it. I saw what happened,” Charlie snapped. She had actually been following him for most of the night and had observed the entire scene around the back of Bad Decisions.

“Then why are you restraining me?” He sounded thoroughly exasperated.

“Because I saw what happened,” Charlie repeated, still keeping the gun on him. “If you’d actually been attacking that girl, I’d be calling a unit to scrape your brains off the pavement instead of cuffing you. I don’t tolerate rapists.” That had been true of her time on the Asheville PD and it was just as true now that she was in the EPB.

“If you don’t tolerate rapists you ought to be hunting down the male who attacked her.” He nodded at the semi-hysterical girl who was still trying to get herself together.

“That’s not my priority—you are. Kindred.”

“The male might come back at any moment,” he said, turning his head to try and look at her.

“After the way you ran him off? I don’t think so—eyes front!” Charlie jammed the gun against the side of his neck though she had to reach up to do it.

“The female is very upset and in need of comfort,” he protested.

“I’ll call for back-up and have them send someone to calm her down and chase after him,” Charlie snapped. Then she felt immediately irritated for explaining herself to the big warrior. “Come on now—move!” She thumped his wide back with her gun, nudging him forward. God, he was built like a tank! His shoulders were fully twice as broad as hers and he had to be six foot seven or eight if he was an inch.

She couldn’t be sure but in the glow of the arc sodium lamps overhead, his hair, which he wore in a club at the back of his neck, looked to be dark auburn. Hmm, never seen a red headed Kindred before. She wondered if he was a special breed. He had tattoos too—thick black curving lines that started at the nape of his neck and crawled down into the collar of his shirt. When Charlie stared at them, trying to make them out, the pattern seemed to shift like snakes.

“Where are you taking me?” he growled. He was moving in the right direction but not fast enough to suit her.

“To my car for starters. That’s all you need to know for now.” She thumped him again. "Hurry up."

He was silent but his shoulders were tight. She could tell by the tension in his big body he was thinking of running.

“Don’t do it.” Charlie poked him in the ribs again with the muzzle of her Glock. “My daddy taught me to hunt when I was twelve. Used to take me out to spend the night in the deer blind, waiting for some buck to wander by. And let me tell you, buddy, you’re a hell of a lot bigger target than a lot of the game I brought down.”

Some of the tension leaked out of the big form and the Kindred continued plodding towards her car.

“Besides,” Charlie continued. “You’d never get those cuffs off by yourself. They’re pretty tight, aren’t they? No way to drive a car or a space ship with those on. And after a while, blood loss and nerve damage set in. Better stay with the person who has the key.” She patted her pocket with her free hand, making her keys jingle. “Right?”

“You make a compelling argument,” he rumbled. “But I still do not see why you have to apprehend me. Despite the fact that our people are at war, I am not your enemy.”

“Oh no? Then what were you doing skulking around at night like a skunk in the garden?” Charlie demanded. “Just out playing vigilante, making sure nobody got raped or stabbed behind the bar for the hell of it?”

“I did not set out to interfere,” he protested. “But I couldn’t stand by while the female was attacked. I was actually trying to get—”

“Trying to get where?” Charlie poked him again. “Go on—you can say it.
You were trying to get to the HKR building and contact the Mother Ship, weren’t you?”

“They have an urgent message for me,” he growled reluctantly. “If I could just speak to my superior—”

“He’d what—give you instructions on where to plant a bomb or how to sabotage the local military base?”

“Of course not.” He was sounding exasperated again. “Give my people some credit. We are not terrorists—we are honorable males. No Kindred would do such a thing.”

“I don’t know what you’d do and I’m not about to give you a chance to find out.”

They had reached the car at last and Charlie was grateful. She’d had about enough conversation with the big warrior. It was time to bring him in to the EPB headquarters—which was actually just a makeshift area inside the local precinct—for processing.

She had to stand on tiptoes to get her fingers on the top of his head and fold him down into the back seat of her unmarked sedan. Folding was the right word, too—the big bastard was accordioned in like a piece of origami by the time she finally got him into the back but finally the deed was done and she was able to shut the door.

Then, leaning against the side of the closed driver’s side door, she got out her cell and called her immediate superior, Agent Purvis. He answered on the tenth ring.

“Damn it, Sayers, do you know what time it is?” he muttered sleepily into the phone.

“One fifteen AM exactly,” Charlie answered crisply. “I wouldn’t bother you at this hour without a good reason, Sir. My suspicion that a Kindred was in hiding somewhere in the vicinity of Old Pevito Road was correct. I have caught and apprehended the suspect and he is currently in custody in the back of my car.”

“What?” There was a flurry of sounds on the other side and Charlie pictured Agent Purvis sitting up suddenly in bed and knocking his balding head against the headboard. “You what?” he demanded.

Charlie repeated herself.

“By yourself?” Purvis demanded. “You went after a Kindred by yourself? Where’s Jenkins? He’d better be with you, Sayers!”

Charlie cleared her throat. “Jenkins went home at the end of our shift. I wasn’t intending to apprehend the suspect on my own but when I saw him, I followed him. He wound up engaged in a fight outside of the bar Bad Decisions, off of Curlew and I had no choice but to take him down.”

“He was in a fight? Great, just great!” Purvis snapped. “It’ll be all over the news by morning! Hell, it’ll be all over the news in an hour if the wrong person gets hold of it. And they’re going to twist it too—make it look like we were too late to stop him attacking ordinary citizens.”

“How it looks in the news wasn’t my prime consideration when I arrested him, Sir,” Charlie said stolidly. Purvis with his constant attention to the media and concern about his personal image bugged the hell out of her. Sometimes it seemed he was more interested in preening for the cameras than doing his job. “I was more interested in making sure no one was hurt,” she continued. “Should I bring the Kindred suspect in to headquarters for processing?”

“Into headquarters—you mean at the PD? No—no, of course not!,” Purvis sputtered. “Why the hell would you do that? The media vultures would be on us even quicker.”

“Well what am I supposed to do with him?” Charlie demanded, thoroughly pissed off. “Just let him go? We’re the EPB for God’s sake—taking down any remaining Kindred is our job. Or so you told me when you recruited me!”

“Take him to a safe house,” Purvis said quickly. “You do have safe houses here in Ashville, right?” Purvis was from the DC area and had come to town to start the Asheville branch of the EPB so he wasn’t familiar with the area. Still, his question struck Charlie as more than a little asinine.

“No Sir, we do not have a safe house set up and just waiting for anyone who needs to use it,” she said acidly. “It’s the Asheville PD, not the Witness Protection Agency.”

“Well you can’t take him to the precinct.” Purvis was sounding belligerent now.

“I can’t leave him cuffed in the back of my car all night either,” Charlie countered. “He’s got to go somewhere secure.”

“Somewhere secure…somewhere secure…” There was a clicking sound at the other end of the phone and this time Charlie pictured Purvis tapping a plastic Bic pen cap against his yellowing top teeth. It was an annoying and slightly disgusting habit he had while thinking—if what went on in his balding head could be called thinking, that was.

Not for the first time she wondered why she’d allowed herself to be recruited away from the PD for this job. She had just made detective—one of the youngest in the Asheville PD history—and she’d had her own office and everything.

But Purvis hadn’t seemed like nearly such an idiot when he came rolling into town with his presidential mandate and his plans to protect their country and world from the evils of the Kindred. He’d told Charlie that they needed people like her—people who had grown up here and already knew the lay of the land. After all, it’s the hound that knows the hills it’s hunting that catches the most game.

Everything he’d said had seemed to make sense at the time. Charlie had allowed her patriotism to overcome her common sense and had quit the PD to become Charlotte Sayers EPB, Agent First Class. Of course, it wasn’t just patriotism that lured her in—it was the way she felt about the Kindred and their draft. No female ought to be forced into a sexual relationship against her will. After what had happened to Missy— But Charlie shut down that line of thought fast. It wouldn’t do to get emotional right now.

“…kids?”

“Excuse me, what?” She realized that she’d missed what Purvis was saying.

“I said, do you have kids?”

“No,” she said, wondering why he was asking. “I don’t.”

“Or anyone else who might be put at risk?” he went on. “In your house, I mean?”

Charlie began to see where this was headed. But surely not even Purvis would suggest what she thought he was suggesting.

“No, Sir, I live alone. But—”

“Excellent. Take the prisoner to your place.”

“What?” Charlie demanded. “Sir, you can’t be serious! It’s against protocol—all kinds of protocols—for me to take him back to my personal living space and guard him by myself.”

“Well you apprehended him by yourself, Sayers,” Purvis reminded her nastily. “And you seemed to have managed that just fine.”

“This male could be dangerous,” Charlie reminded him icily. “He is six foot eight and built like a professional wrestler. I’m five foot seven and he outweighs me by at least a hundred pounds if not considerably more—I’m no match for him physically.”

“You don’t have to be. You’ve got your cuffs and your gun. Taze him a couple of times if you have to in order to show him who’s boss.”

“Sir, this is really unbelievably irregular. The fact that you would even suggest that I take a suspect back to my private residence—”

“Do you want to keep your job?” Purvis snapped.

“Not badly enough to put my life in danger,” Charlie shot back. “What you’re asking me to do is dangerous and illegal, Sir.”

“It’s also the only way you’ll keep both your job and your freedom,” Purvis practically shouted. “The world is at war here, Sayers. We’re under martial law and I will have you court-martialed in a heartbeat if you don’t obey my orders. Now I am through discussing this with you! You will take the prisoner back to your house and keep him there until I can figure out what kind of spin to put on this to the press. Do you understand?”

Charlie was so pissed off she felt like she could spit nails. What Purvis was demanding of her was completely unreasonable but he wasn’t leaving her a choice. God damned idiot! What the hell is wrong with him? Why did I ever quit the PD? What was I thinking?

“I said, do you understand, Sayers?” he demanded again when she didn’t answer.

Charlie took a deep breath, trying to master her rage.

“Yes, Sir,” she said icily. “I do.”

“Good. Keep the big bastard secure until you hear from me. You’re excused from active duty until further notice. Just stay with him and keep him under your thumb.”

“Yes, Sir,” Charlie snapped again.

“Good.” Purvis yawned. With the problem at least temporarily solved, he was apparently done for the night. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said and hung up.

The phone went dead in her hand. This time she pictured her supervisor rolling over and going back to sleep. Probably getting a good night’s rest while he had just condemned her to a completely sleepless night standing guard over an angry alien as big as a horse. He might as well have ordered her to bring home a mountain lion or a timber wolf and keep it in her spare room until he could think what to tell the press.

God damned idiot! Charlie thought again, fuming. But standing around out here all night wasn’t getting her anywhere. She was going to have to take the big Kindred home and find a way to make him secure somehow, at least for the night.

Remembering that she had been going to call in a unit to deal with the girl who had been attacked by her date, Charlie pulled out her cell again. But during her phone call, the girl had wandered back to the front of the bar and apparently called some friends. Craning her neck, Charlie could see her standing with a group of girls, talking. She looked fine but she was still going to have to answer some questions eventually.

Walking around, she got the girl’s information and asked if she wanted to go to a hospital and get examined.

“No, I’m okay. I was just upset.” The girl rubbed her arms as though she was chilly. “Billy really was going to hurt me—I know he was. He would’ve if that big Kindred hadn’t pulled him off. Is he…”

“I have him in custody,” Charlie said. “He’s going to an undisclosed location.” Which was a laugh, considering.

“Oh, good.” The girl rubbed her bare arms again and shivered. “They didn’t used to bother me but now we’re at war with them and they’re so big.”

“They are that,” Charlie agreed, thinking how huge the big bastard was going to look in her small bed room. “I need to go now. We’ll be in touch. If not me, then another officer or agent,” she promised.

“All right. Thanks for everything. And, uh…” The girl hesitated. “Thank the Kindred for me too. I know they’re our enemies but if he hadn’t stopped Billy…” She shook her head and sniffed.

“Come on.” One of her girl friends put an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. “Let’s get you home.”

Charlie left them to their bonding, trying not to think of Missy. Her older sister had always been there for her like that when things got tough. The two of them had been close—so close Charlie hadn’t felt the need for any other girl friends. After Missy was gone…

Stop. Just stop it, she lectured herself angrily. You need to stay in the here and now if you’re going to be safe. Letting yourself get distracted is about the most dangerous thing you can do in the situation you’re about to be in.

She stalked back to her car, trying to stay in the present instead of replaying the past. Thoughts of her older sister, lost several years ago, always made her blue. But it wasn't just melancholy over her sister that was making her feel sad. She winced as she felt a dull, grinding ache beginning in her pelvis. It stopped after a moment but she knew that much worse was to come. Just great—on top of everything else, her period was coming on. It never lasted long but the cramps could be severe. What a night Purvis had picked to saddle her with a dangerous prisoner!

Nothing to do but get through it. Bitching and moaning won't help. Just deal with it.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the front door of her sedan and slid inside. It was a converted squad car so there was reinforced wire mesh between her and the back seat. She could see her prisoner sitting with his arms bound behind his back and his knees practically up to his chin in her rearview.

She couldn’t tell what color his eyes were but they gleamed like an animal’s in the dark, making her heart jump up in her throat for an instant. He held her gaze in the mirror, steady and unblinking, until Charlie had to look away. Great and she had to take that home with her. What the hell was Purvis thinking?

Thinking about covering his own ass, that’s what he’s thinking.

She threw the car into drive and bumped over the rocky dirt road until she got to Curlew, which was at least paved, even if it was full of potholes.

They drove in silence for five minutes before the Kindred finally spoke.

“I may be your prisoner but I have the right to know where you are taking me. Is our destination the local penitentiary or incarceration facility?”

“Nope.” Charlie cast another glance in the mirror and looked away before he could catch her eyes with his again. “Not going to jail or prison.” Not now, anyway.

“Where then?” he growled. “Unless you are planning to execute me—”

“No, I’m not going to shoot you,” Charlie snapped. “That is, unless you misbehave. You’re going to be on a very tight leash where we’re going.”

“But where are we going? Where are you taking me?” he demanded again, stirring restlessly in the back seat.

Charlie sighed. “The last place I want to—my place.”

Chapter Three

Stavros fumed silently in the back seat. How had he allowed the little female to get the jump on him? She was tiny—her waist no bigger around than his thigh. Though from observing her as she folded him firmly into her car, he had been able to ascertain that she had pleasingly rounded hips and a plump posterior…

No! He frowned to himself. Why should that occur to him now? The female’s physical appearance was irrelevant. The point was, she had him in her custody and he was currently getting farther and farther away from his destination—the HKR building. Where was she taking him? He’d though she said it was to “her place” but surely she didn’t mean her personal residence? From what he knew of Earth penal customs, that seemed highly irregular.

Still, maybe she wanted to conceal him for some reason? She’d spent a great deal of time on her cell phone arguing with someone. From inside the car the conversation had been somewhat muffled Stav had caught a few angry words and she hadn’t looked very happy when she’d finished. So he supposed it was possible that she really was taking him to her domicile or as the humans called it, a house.

Stav studied her in the rearview mirror, trying to gage her motivations and intentions. She had hair the color of ripe wheat but it was difficult to say how long it was as she had it scraped into a no-nonsense bun at the back of her head. Her features were finely sculpted and would have been lovely if she wasn’t wearing a perpetual scowl, as though she was intent on doing a job she didn’t like. Presumably preparing to guard him all night.

Stavros had no sympathy for her—if she hadn’t wanted to keep him secure, she shouldn’t have taken him in the first place. And he was going to make her work too—despite her gun he fully intended to escape the moment his cuffs came off. He wasn’t going to hurt her—he could never bring himself to hurt a female, even one who was his captor. But he was certain he could restrain her and then get back to the HKR building before she got loose.

As if she knew what he was planning, her eyes met his in the mirror again. They were large and deep brown with no other color at all. Their color reminded Stavros of the sweet confection Earthlings called “chocolate” and despite the situation he found himself in, he had to admit they were lovely, fringed as they were with thick lashes several shades darker than her hair.

“What are you staring at?” she demanded when he caught her gaze and held it.

“You,” Stav said quietly.

“Well, stop it!” she snapped, glaring at him.

Stav continued to meet her eyes.

“Why? Does it make you nervous to hold my gaze?” He wasn’t trying to intimidate her—he had the feeling not much could intimidate this female. She had a brisk, no-nonsense way about her that had already earned his grudging respect. But he was honestly interested in the answer.

“Don’t flatter yourself buddy,” she said flatly, looking back at the road as the car took a sharp curve. The lights of town were fading outside his window and Stav had the idea they were going out into the country surrounding Asheville.

“I was simply asking a question,” he pointed out. “In response to the one you asked. I thought you were initiating a conversation.”

“Well, I’m not. So don’t talk to me.” Her eyes flicked to his once more in the mirror and just as quickly flickered away. Stavros noticed that her cheeks were dark pink. Had he discomforted her somehow? The thought was oddly intriguing—as was the sweet scent that rose from her small body. It reminded Stavros of the Earth plant called honeysuckle. It must be her perfume—an artificial scent many Earth females wore for some reason. It was very pleasant but even better was the warm, feminine musk underneath it.

Stavros shifted his feet and legs in the cramped back seat and another scent, not nearly as pleasant, rose to greet him. He grimaced. Apparently he hadn’t been as fast as he’d thought when the male he had threatened had voided his bladder. The male had been wearing the truncated trousers Earthlings called “shorts” and his urine had obviously splattered the lower front of Stavros’s leathers and his boots.

Seven Hells, Stav swore to himself. At least the leather of his trousers had kept the urine from soaking in and touching his skin but it was still unpleasant to be wearing the waste fluids of the other male.

They were getting farther and farther from the lights of town, the car taking a steep turn as it entered a twisting trail leading up and up and up. From the windows Stavros caught glimpses of trees and bushes and very occasionally, a lone dwelling. He estimated they had gone quite a way—possibly farther than he could walk on foot if he wanted to get back to the HKR building before dawn. It was a good thing he knew how to drive an Earth car—he might have to “borrow” this one once he escaped.

In the meantime, however, the itching, tickling sensation in his brain had grown fainter and less insistent. Stavros wasn’t sure if whoever was trying to contact him was giving up or if the signal was somehow being blocked out by the bulk of the mountain they were climbing. It didn’t matter though—no matter how faint the signal became he still had to answer it.

No matter what he had to do, he would get away at the first opportunity and get back to the HKR building.

* * * * *

Charlie sighed as she turned the car off the main road and entered the rough, rutted dirt path that served as her driveway. She lived in a genuine log cabin which had been built around the turn of the twentieth century. It had been falling to ruin before the former owner had bought it and remodeled it extensively. Charlie had gotten it for a song when he had to move away because he was a friend of her father’s—or had been before her dad passed away from a stroke the year before.

It was a beautiful home but the location was fairly remote and isolated—she only had two neighbors and neither of them was within hearing distance even if she shouted. Charlie had always liked the isolation in the past. Even though getting up and down the mountain during the winter snows could be a bitch, she loved the peace and quiet. Now, however, her house’s lonely location worried her. She was up here alone with a dangerous prisoner—a dangerous, extremely large prisoner. Which meant she was going to have to be on her guard every minute.

A sharp cramp from the vicinity of her pelvis reminded her that wasn’t going to be easy. Her period was coming fast—she needed to get the big Kindred secured quickly before the pain made it hard to function. She just hoped this wasn’t going to be one of the really bad ones.

About once or twice a year she had a period with cramps so bad they were actually debilitating. Comparing these to her regular cycle was like comparing a light tension headache to a migraine. During these “below-the-belt migraines,” as Charlie had come to think of them, the only thing that helped even a little were prescription muscle relaxers. Unfortunately, as well as easing the cramps some, the meds also made her loopy and completely unable to drive or work.

Since the “migraine periods” were a fairly rare occurrence, Charlie could usually take a day off work and stay in bed when one of them hit her. She didn’t like to do that—it made her feel week and girly. But there was no arguing with the stabbing, grinding cramps that overwhelmed her. They felt like someone had cut open her abdomen and was slicing up her insides with a meat cleaver. She was no good to anyone while she was in that much pain—there was no cure but to take the meds and sleep it off.

Please, not tonight, she thought, as another, stronger cramp stuck her. I don’t need a bad one tonight. Not when she had the big Kindred to deal with. There was no way she could take her muscle relaxers with him in her house. She would have to remain hyper-vigilant at all times and being strung out on pain meds was not an option.

Another cramp struck like an angry horse kicking her in the belly and she heard a soft noise that sounded like a grunt of pain from the back seat. Dragging her mind away from her own discomfort, she parked the car and looked in the rearview at her prisoner. The big Kindred’s eyes were narrowed and his jaw was clenched.

“You have a problem?” she asked sharply.

“I don’t,” he replied, frowning. “But—”

“What is it?” Charlie was ready to get out and escort him into her house. She had to get moving before her period fully arrived. “Come on—speak now or forever hold your peace.” She motioned at him impatiently.

“Nothing.” He shook his head and looked away. “I am fine.”

“Good. Now let me tell you how this is going to go.” Charlie held his eyes in the mirror as she talked, despite the fact that it made her really uncomfortable to have eye contact with him for some reason. “First I’m going to get you out of the car,” she said, holding up one finger. “When I do, you’re going to be as quiet and sweet as a little lamb.”

“A what?” He frowned. “Is that some kind of Earth creature?”

“It’s a baby sheep,” Charlie said. “And it’s known for its meek and mild temperament.”

“A lamb…” He appeared to be trying to place it. Suddenly his eyes narrowed. “I know where I’ve heard that—I went out to an Earth restaurant with friends and was served lamb chops with a vivid green goo.”

“That would be mint jelly, I guess,” Charlie said. Then she got irritated. “Look, we’re getting off subject. The point is, you’re not going to give me any trouble because I’m going to have my Glock on you the whole time.” She drew the gun and held it up to demonstrate.

He scowled. “I agree that your crude projectile weapon gives you the upper hand but if you think I will sit still and meekly allow you to make me into chops and green goo you are very much mistaken.”

“Nobody’s getting turned into chops unless they misbehave,” Charlie said steadily. “Is that clear?”

“Perfectly.” He nodded.

“Good. So we’re going into the house—my house filled with my stuff. Which means I’m gonna get pissed off good and proper if you break anything or make a mess. I may not be the world’s best housekeeper but I am particular about keeping things in one piece. So no funny business.”

He blinked. “I wouldn’t dare to engage in humorous activities on your premises.”

“Good. Because listen up, big fella—you’re huge and I’m just one woman alone—don’t think I don’t know that. What it basically means is that if you put so much as a toe out of line I’ll shoot first and ask questions afterwards. Got it?”

He nodded soberly. “I understand. I have no margin for error while I am in your domicile.”

“Got it in one, buddy.” Charlie nodded approvingly. “Okay, so out we go.”

She climbed out of the car and opened the back door. She expected him to step right out but it wasn’t that easy—the big Kindred was so crammed in he had a struggle getting out. Also, his arms and hands were still bound behind his back which left him little to balance with.

Finally, Charlie leaned forward and hooked one hand under his muscular arm while keeping the Glock firmly trained on his head.

“C’mon, big boy,” she muttered. “Let’s—” Suddenly an acrid, unpleasant smell hit her nose. “Hey!” She glared at him. “Don’t tell me you sat back there and pissed yourself!”

“I most certainly did not,” he growled, his dignity clearly injured. “It was the male I dragged off the female he was trying to rape. He was intoxicated and fearful for his life—so much that his bladder let go. Some of his urine got on my flight leathers and boots.”

Charlie made a grimace of disgust as he finally struggled free of the car and stood erect.

“Well that’s what too much cheap beer will do to you. Not that I’m surprised he wet himself in fear with you behind him—you’re a big son-of-a-bitch.”

He frowned down at her. “You keep making remarks about my size—I am no larger than most of my kind. It is not my fault that Kindred males are on average, twenty percent larger than human males.”

“It’s not your fault but it still makes you damn big,” Charlie muttered.

“It was my understanding that according to Earth customs, it is rude to comment on the shape and size of another person’s body,” he remarked. “I have not said that you have full hips and a rounded posterior—though I might if I was so inclined.”

“Watch it!” The size of her hips and ass were a definite sore spot with Charlie. “I don’t appreciate personal remarks,” she told him.

“So it’s permitted for you to talk about me but I cannot talk about you?” he shot back. “Why are you allowed to notice and remark on my size while I am not supposed to mention your luscious backside?”

“Luscious?” she blurted without thinking.

“Extremely.” His eyes glinted in the dim glow of her porch light as his gaze traveled over her body.

Charlie felt her cheeks flaming—the way her looked at her made her feel like she was wearing a leave-nothing-to-the-imagination bikini instead of a professional looking, boring gray pantsuit. For some reason her pulse began to race and her palms were suddenly damp on the handle of her Glock. What the hell was wrong with her? Her strange reaction to the big warrior made her even angrier than his remarks.

“Look, I don’t care what you think of my ass—you better keep it to yourself, buddy,” she snapped. “That kind of talk will get you shot as fast as acting up will.” She waved the Glock menacingly.

“Very well,” he said stiffly. “I will refrain from mentioning your personal attributes if you will refrain from mentioning mine.”

“Deal.” Charlie prodded his arm with the gun. “Now let’s get moving. I don’t have all night.”

Chapter Four

They got into the house just before another cramp hit her. It nearly doubled her over and to make matters worse, the big Kindred chose that moment to stumble.

“Get up!” Charlie snapped at him, trying to ignore the pain. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Sorry,” he growled, giving her a distinctly unfriendly look. “I was momentarily incapacitated through no fault of my own.”

“Yeah right, whatever.” Charlie poked him in the back with the gun. “Move forward, straight ahead. First door on the right.”

He moved in the direction she indicated and stopped in front of the white reinforced wooden door.

“I cannot go in or work the doorknob unless you free my arms,” he reminded her.

“Yeah, right—you wish,” Charlie snarled. The cramps had settled down to a dull ache for the moment but she knew soon they would rev into high gear. And instead of being able to take her medicine and lie down, she was stuck guarding this big bastard all night. It didn’t exactly improve her mood.

The Kindred frowned at her. “You cannot leave my arms bound indefinitely—you yourself said that would result in circulatory and nerve damage and they are already completely numb. I know I am your prisoner but I’m certain you are not allowed to permanently maim me by leaving me shackled.”

“Fine, whatever.” Charlie reached around him and pushed open the door. “We’ll figure something out. Just get inside.”

He walked in readily enough, then lifted his head to sniff the air.

“This is your room,” he said, looking at her.

“The whole house is mine, in case you didn’t notice.”

“Yes, but this is where you sleep.” He sniffed again, like a dog trying to catch a scent. “Your essence is everywhere. It is sweet and fresh…and very warm.” His deep voice dipped into a growl on the last word, making her heart pound faster for some reason.

“Hey, what did I tell you about personal remarks?” Charlie demanded, irritated again by her reaction to him. “Keep it to yourself!”

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I was just wondering why you would choose to place me in your own personal sleeping quarters when there are clearly other rooms available in this domicile.”

“None of your business,” Charlie said through gritted teeth. “Just get over to the bed.”

She had been planning on putting him in the spare room to start with but she’d admitted to herself reluctantly that it just wasn’t strong enough. Her bedroom was the most secure room in the house. Also, the king sized bed had a heavy, hand-carved oak frame with bedposts as thick as her arm—they ought to hold up even to the strength of a Kindred. She hoped, anyway.

The Kindred walked over to the bed, staring down at the gold and scarlet patchwork quilt Charlie’s grandma had made her before she passed away. Then he just stood there.

“What are you waiting for?” Charlie didn’t even try to keep the exasperation out of her voice. “Sit down.”

He glanced at her. “I would but I do not wish to soil your sleeping platform. I assume you do not wish this colorful covering to smell of the human male’s urine?” He nodded significantly down at his black leather trousers and tall black boots.

Charlie cursed tiredly under her breath. No, she didn’t want Grandma’s special quilt to smell like the drunk would-be rapist’s pee. It was actually pretty courteous of the big warrior to think about that but she wasn’t in the mood to be grateful. The beginnings of the deep, bone-weariness that marked the advent of one of her truly bad migraine-periods was starting to set in, making her wish she could curl up in the fetal position on the bed herself. But at least for now the cramps had eased a little.

“Fine,” she said. “Take them off.”

Obligingly, her prisoner toed off his boots and kicked them aside. But then he just stood there, looking at her. “I will continue if you free my hands. Otherwise, I cannot manage.”

Charlie wasn’t nearly ready to free his hands yet. Before she did that, she wanted him sitting on the bed ready to be cuffed to the bedposts. But before he sat down, the leather trousers had to come off. She shook her head.

“Or you can help me, if you wish.” He raised one dark auburn eyebrow at her, as though daring her to take him up on his offer.

“Fine,” Charlie snapped. “But I’m only doing this to save my grandma’s quilt. Don’t get any ideas.”

Cursing under her breath again, she held the gun on him with one hand and reached for the front of his leather pants with the other.

“There are magnetic tabs at the front,” he said, tilting his pelvis towards her helpfully. “If you release them you should be able to pull my leathers down.”

Keeping the gun on him, Charlie started reach for the front of his trousers…then stopped.

“Wait a minute—are you wearing underwear?” she demanded. “I want to know what to expect when we get these off of you.”

“I am wearing underbriefs,” he said shortly. “They look something like the garments your people label ‘shorts’ but then are of a thinner fabric and cling closer to the skin.”

“Oh. Okay then—good,” Charlie said, somewhat mollified. At least she wasn’t going to get an eyeful of his package when she pulled down his tight leather trousers.

She took a moment to consider the fact that she was about to de-pants an alien criminal who was also her prisoner right in her bedroom. Surely this was breaking all kinds of rules and the powers that be would not approve. Then again, just having the Kindred here in the first place was a major violation of at least a dozen different protocols so that was just too bad.

“Here goes,” she muttered. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt so she had to reach under it and grab the top of his waistband. She tugged hard…and nothing happened. She tugged again, harder with the same result. She was just getting ready to give a truly massive pull when her prisoner’s deep voice interrupted her.

“That isn’t how they work,” he rumbled. “You have to reach in and find the release catch before the magno tabs will detach from each other.”

“Reach in?” Charlie looked at him sharply. “Listen buddy, if you’re lying because you think I’ll uncuff your hands and arms just to avoid reaching into your britches, you’re sadly mistaken. I’m not afraid of your little trouser snake.”

“Firstly, I do not keep an Earth reptile in my leathers. And secondly, I am telling the absolute truth,” he said with a straight face. “Think about it—if the magnetic tabs were too easy to release my flight leathers would be in danger of coming off all the time.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” Charlie muttered. “Considering they appear to be painted on. All right, let’s try again.”

Taking a deep breath, she slid her fingers into the waistband of his tight leather trousers. His skin was very warm against her knuckles—almost hot as though he had a furnace inside him—and this close, Charlie couldn’t help feeling dwarfed by his huge size. He literally towered over her like a mountain of muscle but she refused to let herself be intimidated.

You’re the one with the gun, she reminded herself sternly. So keep it together and let’s get this finished.

She was trying to follow the front seam of his trousers but all she could feel was smooth fabric instead. Where the hell was the damn release he was talking about? She reached further and further down…and then she felt a lot more than fabric. Suddenly something hot and hard and truly massive was bumping against the back of her hand.

“Hey!” She glared up at the big Kindred, wanting to know if he’d tricked her. To her surprise, his cheeks were red and his jaw was clenched.

“I think you are feeling inside my underbriefs instead of the inside of my leathers,” he said in a harsh, somewhat strangled voice.

“Oh, uh…sorry,” Charlie muttered. Feeling like a fool, she pulled her hand mostly out and started again, this time being careful to reach between the leather trousers and his underwear.

But it seemed that the process she had started couldn’t be stopped. Though she tried to be careful not to touch “it” again, she could feel his hardness growing as she fumbled for the release catch.

“It feels like a small, smooth metal button,” he said in that same strangled voice and shifted uncomfortably. “Could you please hurry?”

“I’m trying.” Charlie was every bit as embarrassed as he was. She was just about to call it quits when she finally found the button he was talking about and pressed it firmly.

At last the trousers parted—although it might be more accurate to say they popped open. The garment he called his “underbriefs” was black but even so, Charlie could see the long, thick ridge of his heavy cock. It looked painfully erect, pressing as it was against the thin black fabric and framed by the open leather flaps of his trousers.

As embarrassing as the sight was, at least the job was done. Charlie gave a little sigh of relief and stepped back.

“There.”

The Kindred just looked at her, one eyebrow raised. She saw with surprise that he had bitten his lip—there was a thin trickle of blood running down one side of his strong chin. Clearly he was just as embarrassed as she was but he was bearing it stoically. Charlie wondered if he even knew he had bitten himself.

“The job is not done yet. You’ll have to help me pull them down too, you know,” he growled.

“Great. Just great.” Grabbing one of his belt loops, she began to tug while still keeping the gun trained on him. He shifted slightly and she gave a quick jerk. “No funny business now! Not while I’ve got my Glock pointed at your family jewels.”

“I was simply trying to help you,” he bit out. “And why would I carry valuable family jewelry in the crotch my trousers?”

“Never mind,” she grunted, still tugging. “It’s…an…expression.” She gave little short jerks as she talked, trying to peal the black leather off his long legs. It wasn’t easy—he had extremely muscular thighs and as she had noted earlier, his trousers looked painted on. “Why do you have to…wear them so tight…anyway?” she demanded, finally getting them down to his knees. “Just to show off your package? This is ridiculous!”

“I assume that “package” is an Earth euphemism for my shaft,” he snapped. “And I am not trying to ‘show it off.’ Having tight clothing that cannot be caught or twisted by an enemy is an asset in battle.”

“Right and it has nothing whatsoever to do with showcasing your ass,” Charlie muttered as she finally got the trousers down to his ankles. The ass in question was extremely firm and muscular, she couldn’t help noticing. Not that she cared.

“I’m not—” he started to protest.

“Here—step out of them,” Charlie commanded. She was still tugging at the waistband, attempting to pull the trousers off his feet. He tried to help and overbalanced. With an exclamation in strange, guttural language she didn’t understand, he fell backwards.

Luckily he landed on the bed with his feet, still tangled in the leather trousers, sticking out.

“You all right?” Charlie asked with concern. She might not like him very much but that didn’t mean she wanted to trip him or hurt him.

“Fine.” He glared at her. “Nothing was injured but my dignity. When are you going to loosen these bonds?”

“Right now—as long as you behave.” Briskly, Charlie finished pulling off the leathers and dropped them in a heap on the floor. She didn’t know much about cleaning leather but she thought they should rinse right off with no problem. The boots too.

She turned back to the big Kindred who had managed to sit up and was watching her from the bed. He was so tall that they were almost eye-to-eye, even with him sitting and her standing. Charlie tried not to notice the way those midnight blue eyes followed her as she came towards him.

Luckily she had some spare pairs of cuffs though they weren’t the Kindred kind so they might be a tight fit on his wrists. Still, cuffs were cuffs and once he was chained to the thick oak bedposts, she didn’t anticipate any problems.

Once she had the cuffs fixed on the posts with one metal bracelet dangling on either side, she got on the bed behind the big Kindred and finally released the metal restraints.

He gave a great sigh of relief and began massaging his arms as well as he could with hands that were obviously numb. He eyed her speculatively and she knew what he was thinking.

“Better not,” she said, keeping the Glock trained in the center of his broad chest. “I couldn’t miss even if I tried at this range. Blow a hole the size of a barn door right through you.”

He growled deep in his throat but allowed her to position him so that he was leaning against the headboard. Keeping the gun on him, Charlie fastened first one wrist and then the other to the oak bedposts.

He glared at her as she worked.

“More restraints?”

“How else am I going to keep you in one place?” Charlie demanded as she checked the fit of the cuffs. As she had suspected, they were tight but not enough to cut off circulation. “Unless you want to give me your word you’ll stay right here like a good little lamb.”

“Would you take my word even if I gave it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Nope.” Charlie finished checking the cuffs.

“I didn’t think so. I wouldn’t give it anyway since I intend to escape at the first opportunity,” he growled.

“Huh. Well at least you’re honest about it.” Charlie was feeling increasingly weary and the cramps were starting to come back but there were a few more things she had to do.

She went to the master bathroom, rinsed off his things and took care of business, using a tampon though there wasn’t much need for one. The strange thing about her “migraine periods” was she hardly bled at all but it was good to be prepared just in case.

After washing her hands, she got a clean washrag from the small stack over the sink. As she wet it, she reflected that she never would have believed she’d be using it on an alien male handcuffed to her bed the last time she’d done laundry. Then again, she hadn’t been thinking anything about having a big alien in her bed. The whole situation was bizarre.

Make the best of it, Charlie, she advised herself. Just get through the night and if Purvis won’t hear reason tomorrow you can always go over his head and call somebody in Washington.

Who exactly she might call her tired brain wouldn’t tell her at the moment but she was sure she would figure it out if she could just get through the night.

Weariness dragged at her but she forced herself to go back in the bedroom. She reached out to dab at the big Kindred’s chin but he jerked away.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning you up. You bit your lip while I was, uh, trying to get your trousers undone.”

“I did?” He frowned. “I never even realized…”

“Well, you had your mind on…other things,” Charlie said tactfully. “Now hold still.”

She reached for him again and this time the big warrior submitted. He watched her warily as she dabbed the blood from his chin but didn’t say a word. That was fine with Charlie, she was so weary now she was nearly swaying on her feet and she could feel her period circling like a big, ugly bird coming in for a landing. Oh yeah, this was going to be a bad one. She had no idea how she was going to deal with the debilitating cramps while trying to guard a huge prisoner cuffed to her bed—only that she had to manage somehow.

More than anything she wished she could go in the spare room and lie down but she knew that wasn’t an option. Even though he looked secure, the big Kindred had admitted he was going to get away if he could. She had to make sure that didn’t happen. She had to stay and keep watch over him.

Using the last of her strength, she dragged herself into the walk-in closet and changed into a pair of comfy black yoga pants and a soft pink v-neck t-shirt. The outfit wasn’t haute couture but it was a hell of a lot more comfortable than the tight-ass suite she’d been wearing for over twelve hours. She wanted a shower but she didn’t feel she could leave her prisoner alone that long and besides, she was so tired and achy she might slip in the tub and bang her head. She compromised by letting her hair out of the tight bun she’d had it in all day and combing her fingers through it. There—that felt better.

She dry swallowed a couple of ibuprophen, knowing full well they wouldn’t touch the cramps once they were in full swing, and took a deep breath.

Well, here goes—this is going to be a long night.

Chapter Five

Stavros watched his captor closely as she came out of the small dressing area. She walked slowly and deliberately and positioned herself on a large, overstuffed chair that sat in the corner of the room, diagonally across from the sleeping platform he was cuffed to. Though he could feel her physical weariness, she sat up straight, still holding the projectile weapon in her hand. She pointed it at him and made a slight motion.

“Okay, it’s just you and me and Mr. Glock, big boy. So settle down for the night.”

“I am well settled,” Stavros growled. “You saw to that yourself.”

“Yeah, well…” She shrugged her slim shoulders.

“Are you well?” he asked, knowing full well she was not. He had felt the intense, stabbing and grinding pains that tore at her lower abdomen at intervals. Indeed, the pain was so bad it was difficult to block out even when he gave the effort his whole concentration. Clearly something was wrong with her—he just didn’t know what.

“What do you care if I’m ‘well?’” she snapped. “If you’re waiting for me to pass out so you can get away, give up now, buddy. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I was just…concerned about you,” Stavros said stiffly. Strangely, it was true. He was still furious that she had captured him—but more at himself than at her. After all, he had been distracted and allowed her to get the drop on him. He also didn’t like being restrained but he understood why she had done it—clearly he represented a threat to her. Despite the fact that she had him cuffed to her sleeping platform and was holding a loaded weapon on him, he found himself interested and worried about her.

Clearly, though, she didn’t believe him.

“Concerned. Yeah, right.” She made an incredulous noise in the back of her throat.

“It’s true,” he insisted. “It’s obvious you are in some kind of pain or difficulty.”

She frowned. “No, it’s not obvious. Or it shouldn’t be.”

“Then what—”

“Fine,” she snapped. “I’m fine so drop it.”

It wasn’t true but he let it pass and simply studied her instead.

Now that she had changed out of the tight suit and jacket she had been wearing, she looked more approachable. The soft pink of her shirt emphasized her creamy complexion and the black, elastic trousers she had put on clung lovingly to the curves of her full hips and ass. She had let her hair down as well and it fell in silky waves around her heart shaped face. Despite the fact that she was pointing the weapon at him, Stav found her distractingly lovely.

There’s something about her…but what?

Whatever it was, it had caused his body to react. And not just his cock, which was still semi-hard from having her slim little hand down his leathers. It had also caused his fangs to sharpen—enough that he had cut his own lip without even knowing it.

Stavros ran the tip of his tongue delicately along the still-sharp edges. All Blood Kindred had a double set of fangs where humans had their canine teeth. Though he was one of the Cursed, his physiology didn’t differ much from the others of his kind which was why his current state disturbed him greatly.

A Blood Kindred’s fangs didn’t grow sharp enough to pierce flesh until he met the female he wished to claim as his mate. Stav’s had remained blunt and dull his entire life…up until the little female got close to him and put her hand down his leathers. Then they had suddenly become razor sharp and they showed no signs of dulling again.

This is ridiculous, he lectured himself. I cannot claim a bride. It would not be fair to form a permanent soul bond with a female—not when I know I will not live past my fortieth cycle. And even if he would allow himself to form a bond, he certainly wouldn’t pick a female who had taken him prisoner, bound him to her sleeping platform, and was currently holding a projectile weapon on him—would he?

His body seemed to think otherwise. His fangs throbbed and they weren’t the only part of his anatomy that was interested in the human female. He shifted uncomfortably, wishing his underbriefs were made of a thicker material— like solid plastisteel—so his interest in her wouldn’t be so obvious.

Look away, he told himself. Stop thinking of her. Stop remembering how soft her little hand was as it brushed against your shaft. But somehow he couldn’t.

Though he knew he shouldn’t, Stav studied her some more, taking in her delicate features and the full curves of her hips. Her hair was a silky wheat colored cloud around her face and her eyes were the deepest, truest brown he’d ever seen. Her lips were pink and looked kissably soft. Gods, she was lovely and she reminded him of someone. Someone he had seen once, though he couldn’t quite remember where. She was like…like something from a dream. Which was foolish since he never remembered his dreams. But I’m sure I would have remembered if I dreamed of her! Just looking at her made his fangs grow even sharper. And the warm scent that came from her… He sniffed, frowning.

The warm scent had a hint of blood.

Was she injured somewhere? Was she bleeding? Could a wound be what was causing those horrible pains?

A sudden panic surged through him—a wave of protectiveness that made no sense. He wanted to take her in his arms and demand what was wrong with her—force her to explain her illness, whatever it was.

Without thinking, he surged forward, the metal cuffs that enclosed his wrists giving a muffled clink as he strained against them. The silver metal itself was ungiving but he thought with some time he might be able to break the wood. It was already creaking as he pulled against it. If only—

“Hey! None of that!” She half stood, pointing the weapon she had called her “Glock” at him. “Settle down. I don’t need this crap tonight!”

Stav relaxed back against the bed. Don’t be a fool, he lectured himself. She’s your captor. Any illness or wound she has is none of your concern. The only thing you ought to be worried about is getting away from her as fast as possible.

“That’s more like it.” She was still looking at him sharply.

He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant though inside his protective instincts were in high gear.

“You can’t blame a male for trying.”

“Oh, yes I can,” she snapped. “So don’t do it again.”

“I will refrain from trying to escape if you tell me something about yourself,” he said, seeing an opportunity to find out about her.

She made another incredulous noise. “Fat chance.”

Stav frowned. “I do not know what that means but if you do not talk to me I’m going to continue to try to escape. I dislike being restrained—I need something to take my mind off the fact that you have me chained to your sleeping platform like an animal.”

She sighed wearily. “Fine. What do you want to talk about?”

“What is your name?” What he really wanted to ask was what illness she had or where she was wounded but he knew that would shut down the conversation before it even began. He raised an eyebrow at her when she didn’t answer. “Well?”

She ran a hand through her hair and blew out her breath.

“Fine. I guess it can’t hurt to tell you. My name is Charlotte. Charlotte Sayers, officer in the EPB.”

“I am Commander Stavros Rii,” he responded, though she hadn’t asked. “I was in command of the warriors staffing the HKR building here in Asheville before the war between our peoples began.”

“I figured it was something like that. Why else would you hang around down here when all the rest of your kind went back to the Mother Ship?”

“I refused to leave my post,” he acknowledged. “I didn’t think I should have to—this war between the Kindred and the humans is ridiculous and will be soon over.”

“Don’t bet on it, buddy,” she snapped. “Human girls are tied of being forced to have sex with you big bastards to pay you back for saving the planet from the Scourge.”

“You think the warriors that claim human females force themselves on their brides?” Stavros was horrified. “That is absolutely untrue!”

“Oh yeah?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “And what do you call having to give it up by the end of the so called ‘Claiming Period?’ Because I call it rape. They may have legalized it by putting it into one of those Goddamn contracts they make all single girls sign, but it’s still rape.”

“No Kindred warrior would ever rape a female,” Stav said firmly. “We worship the Goddess—the Mother of All Life. We revere all that is feminine. Such an act would be unthinkable—blasphemy as well as brutality.”

“Then why is it in the contract that the girl has to have sex with the Kindred who claims her by the end of the month?” she demanded, leaning forward. “You can’t deny that’s in there—I’ve heard all about it from a lawyer who specializes in Kindred matters. My parents hired him when—” She shook her head. “Never mind. The point is they have to have sex whether they want to or not.”

“It’s true the contract specifies sex but not bonding sex,” Stavros said. “How else could the warrior and his bride see if they were physically compatible and be able to make a decision about their future together?”

“Oh, I don’t know—how about by talking?” she said sarcastically.

“By the time their fourth week arrives they have been talking for almost a whole Earth month,” Stav pointed out. “Talking and touching and…other things.”

“Things she’s forced to do,” Charlotte snapped.

Stav shook his head. “A warrior never forces his bride to do anything. He may seduce her but if she refuses, her word is final.”

She shook her head skeptically.

“Yeah, right. So you’re saying if you ‘claimed’ some poor girl and she didn’t want anything to do with you, you’d just say, ‘Oh well, sorry about that’ and let her go?”

“I cannot call a bride,” Stavros said a bit stiffly. “For reasons I will not go into, it is impossible for me. But if I could, I would respect her wishes. I would never force myself on her. Such an act would be repellent.”

Charlotte looked at him critically, as if trying to determine the veracity of his statements. Stav met her eyes unflinchingly, letting her know he was telling only the absolute truth.

“I just don’t think—” she began.

Suddenly one of those intense, stabbing pains hit her. It felt like a knife in Stav’s guts and he grunted in pain and scrambled to raise his mental shields. They helped a little but not much. The searing, grinding torture in his pelvis went on and on like a cruel fist covered in spikes twisting within him.

Though the pain was unbearably intense, he saw that Charlotte hadn’t shifted an inch. She still sat perfectly upright in the overstuffed chair, pointing her weapon at him. The only sign of her agony was a tightly clenched jaw and the fact that her full pink lips had compressed into a thin, white line.

The scent of blood was also stronger.

What in the Seven Hells is wrong with her? Stav wondered, staring at her closed face. And how can she endure such agony without showing it?

At last the pain eased though he had a feeling it would be back. Whatever was wrong with her, it was getting worse. And the scent of blood made him think her wound was bleeding more freely as well.

He sagged in his bonds, panting a little and Charlotte relaxed as well, leaning back against the chair wearily, as though the pain had taken much of her strength.

“What was that?” he asked frankly, feeling like the time for small talk was over. “What is wrong with you? And where are you wounded?”

“What are you talking about?” she demanded, glaring at him. “I’m not wounded. You’re the one who’s going to be wounded if you don’t shut up.” She waved the weapon at him menacingly but Stav refused to be quiet.

“If you’re not wounded, why do I smell blood?” he asked bluntly. “Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?”

Her face changed colors quickly, going first red with embarrassment and then white with rage.

“You sick son of a bitch! I heard you Kindred had a sense of smell like a bloodhound but I never thought—”

“Just tell me where you’re wounded,” Stav said steadily. “If you’re unsure how to treat yourself, I may be able to talk you through it. I have had some medical training though most of it has to do with combat injuries. Maybe I can help.”

She gave a short, barking laugh. “No, you can’t help. Not with this. Nobody can help with this.”

“You must get help somewhere.” He tried unsuccessfully to keep the worry and irritation out of his voice. “You’re in agony every time one of those pains hits and you’re bleeding.”

She frowned. “How do you know about my cramps—uh, pains?”

The fact that her pain hurt him as well was a personal detail Stavros didn’t wish to go into. He didn’t want to have to explain his status as one of the Cursed or what it meant regarding his life expectancy.

“I told you, I have some medical training,” he said shortly. “Also, my people are very intuitive. But even if we weren’t, I could still smell the blood and see the pain on your face.”

“Well don’t worry yourself about me—or get your hopes up.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not in any danger. It’s just a…a female thing. That’s all.”

“A female thing?” Stav was completely at a loss. “What kind of female thing would cause you to bleed and have intense pain?”

“Are you kidding me?” She stared at him incredulously. “Look, I know your race is like ninety-nine percent male but don’t you have any females at all? And don’t they have, uh…cycles?”

“You mean a cycle as in the time it takes for a year to elapse?” he asked, frowning.

“No.” She shook her head in obvious exasperation. “I mean monthly cycles.”

He shrugged, still mystified.

“No. Not that I ever heard of. What kind of a monthly cycle is this? Do you mean that you bleed and have pain every one of your Earth months?”

“Well, yeah—I mean, that’s pretty much the essence of a period. I mean, it’s part of the reproductive system. It—” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m discussing this with you. This is ridiculous.”

“Nothing that causes you such high levels of agony is ridiculous,” Stav said. “It’s serious and ought to be addressed. Why haven’t you sought treatment for this ‘monthly cycle?’ Even with primitive Earth medicine someone should have been able to do something for you.”

“My doctor has tried, all right?” she snapped, clearly on the defensive. “But nothing helps except really strong muscle relaxers and they make me so loopy I can’t see straight. And I—”

Another pain struck, this one even stronger. Though his mental shields were as high as they would go, it still felt like a knife twisting in Stav’s guts. He stiffened against his bonds, wanting to curl in on himself to ease the pain but he couldn’t in this position. All he could do was stay still and try to endure it.

Through slitted eyes, he watched as Charlotte reacted to the pain. She wasn’t quite able to remain so stoic this time. Though she remained upright—how he didn’t know—her lovely features were twisted into a mask of agony.

At last, after what seemed like a very long time, the pain began to ease. Stav relaxed back against the headboard, breathing hard. In the chair, Charlotte slumped over for a moment, her silky hair hiding her face.

“Charlotte?” he asked hoarsely. “Charlotte, are you all right?”

A soft moan of pure pain was his answer. He was about to surge forward again and attempt to break the wooden posts he was chained to when she finally lifted her head.

“Fine,” she whispered. “I…I’m fine.”

“You’re not!” Stavros was more than concerned now—he was angry. Why wouldn’t she do something to help herself? “You said there was medicine you could take,” he said. “Go and take it now before another pain hits you.”

She glared at him. “Yeah, right. And let you slip away while I’m higher than a kite on muscle relaxers? I don’t think so.”

Stav blew out a breath in frustration. He couldn’t promise not to try and escape so that she could take the medicine that helped her. He needed too badly to get back to the HKR and find out what the Mother Ship wanted to do that. But if he didn’t promise not to leave, she would continue to torture herself. And him also, since his mental shields had never been less effective.

Why can’t I block her out better? he wondered. What is it about her that’s so different from any other female I’ve ever met?

“Take your medicine,” he urged, knowing she would refuse, but helpless not to ask. “Please—the pain is more than you can bear.”

“I can stand it.” She clenched her jaw, as though determined to get through the pain, no matter how bad it got. “I’ll be just fine.”

“You won’t—this agony is sapping your strength and causing great physical damage,” Stavros growled. “You must take whatever it is that helps you.”

“I told you, I ca—”

Another pain hit, this one worse than all the others combined. Stav writhed in his bonds. Taken by surprise, he was unable to block it out even a little. On the chair, Charlotte moaned and curled in on herself. Her weapon fell from her nerveless fingers and thumped harmlessly onto the carpet.

Through the haze of pain, Stav saw his chance. She was helpless and for the first time since he’d met her she wasn’t pointing a weapon at him. He might never get another opportunity like this.

Summoning all his mental effort, he pushed up a barrier between them. It wasn’t enough to filter out the pain completely, but it helped him recover enough strength for what had to be done.

He clenched his fists and surged forward. With a mighty heave, both of the thick wooden posts he was cuffed too splintered and broke, snapping like matchsticks under the force of his muscular arms.

Charlotte jerked at the noise. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw him stripping the metal cuffs off the broken wooden posts.

“But how could you…those were solid oak.”

“Desperation gives a male strength,” Stavros said grimly. “I must go.”

“No,” she groaned, reaching for her dropped weapon. “You can’t…”

“You won’t be needing that.” Stav quickly kicked the weapon out of reach, well under the sleeping platform. “I’m not going to hurt you—I’m just going to leave.”

“No…” she moaned again but he was already in the small room where he had seen her take his leathers and boots. They were still damp from the water she’d rinsed them with but at least they no longer smelled of the human male’s urine. Stav shrugged into them quickly and turned to go.

A low, pitiful moan from the chair in the corner of the sleeping chamber stopped him. No matter how urgent the situation on the Mother Ship was, he couldn’t leave Charlotte like this.

He crossed the room to her in two long strides and knelt down beside her small figure, curled into a ball of pain.

“Where’s your medicine?” he demanded softly. “Where it is, Charlotte? Let me get it for you before I go.”

She shook her head. Her arms were crossed over her knees which were drawn up to her chin. She clutched herself tightly—it was as though the pain inside her was a beast, trying to rip its way out and she was trying desperately to hold herself together.

Stavros recognized the look on her face from the many combat missions he’s been on. She was too far gone in the pain to answer his question. Indeed, she was so far gone he wasn’t even sure she’d heard him.

He frowned, at a loss for what to do. If she’d had an obvious wound he might have been able to heal it by licking her there—that was what Blood Kindred did for their mates, anyway. They could seal wounds with the essence that came from their fangs when their mate was hurt. But a quick check revealed nothing obvious, even though he still smelled blood on her. Also, she’d said she had a medical condition that was helped by a certain kind of medicine. But what medicine and where did she keep it?

It was a circular question—there was no way of knowing since she was incapable of answering him.

Seeing the agony on her face and feeling the pain beating against his own mental barriers, Stavros felt a rush of pity and concerned protectiveness sweeping over him again. Gods, she was so small and this torturing pain was ripping her apart! If only there was a way he could help her…

Suddenly something occurred to him. He’d been wishing she had an obvious wound so he could heal her, as his kind healed their mates. But there was something he could do that most other Blood Kindred could not. As a Cursed One, he could take some of her pain into himself for a little while and give her at least a little relief. At least, he could have done so if she was his mate.

She’s not my mate but she did make my fangs sharpen as no other female has done, he reminded himself. And I find her most…compelling. Yes, maybe it would be possible…

It wouldn’t be good for him, of course. It would be the physiological equivalent of taking poison into his body and it would probably shorten his already short life span. But he couldn’t think of any other way to help her.

“Charlotte,” he murmured. “Look at me. I’m going to touch you and try to ease the pain.”

She shook her head, clearly not understanding. That was all right—the time for talk was over. Stav cupped her cheek, feeling her softness in the palm of his hand. Skin-to-skin contact would make this easier—or so he hoped. He knew it always made blocking anyone else’s pain out more difficult if he was touching them. So touching her should make him more able to transfer her pain to himself.

Then he took a deep breath to prepare for the grinding, stabbing agony, he let down his shields.

Immediately the brutal flow of pain flooded him, so much that he could barely remain upright. He was crouched beside Charlotte’s chair, looking into her eyes which were clouded with torment but for a moment he almost fell over onto the floor. Only the dawning recognition in those lovely chocolate brown depths kept him upright.

“Your medicine,” he rasped, forcing himself to stand though he wanted to bend double with the pain. “Where is it? Tell me now. I cannot…cannot keep this up much longer.”

“Medicine cabinet,” she whispered. “The mirror on the wall opens—inside is a brown bottle. That’s it.”

“Good.” Stavros hobbled back to the small fresher area and looked in the area she had said. He was glad to find the little brown bottle almost at once. He was only taking about half of Charlotte’s pain but it was still bad enough to nearly incapacitate him. Gods, how did she deal with this every month?

When he made it back to her, he fell on his knees and fumbled with the lid of the little bottle. For some stupid reason, it wouldn’t come off. Stav swore under his breath and twisted harder as the loose metal cuffs there were still dangling from his wrists jangled—how in the Seven Hells did you get the damn thing open?

“Here. Childproof…lid.” Charlotte reached out a hand for the bottle. Her words meant nothing to him but Stav gave her the bottle. She did something which made it pop open and shook two pills into her trembling palm.

“Take them quickly,” he told her. “I cannot…I fear I cannot help much longer.”

She dry swallowed the small white pills with difficulty and closed her eyes.

Stavros waited anxiously, trying to gauge the effect the medicine had on her. He was frustrated when he didn’t feel any lessoning of the agony.

“Well?” he asked at last, feeling on the very edge of his strength. “Why is your pain not less?”

Her eyes opened slowly. “Takes awhile…to kick in. How do you know about the pain? How did you…make it less?”

“I can’t for much longer.” Stav gritted his teeth. “How long does the medicine take to work?”

She shrugged tiredly. “I don’t know. Twenty minutes?”

Stav took a breath. Twenty minutes. It’s not that long. You can bear anything for twenty minutes. And you can’t leave her like this. You can’t.

He didn’t know why but it was true. He was as incapable of walking out of the room knowing she was in pain as he had been when she had chained him to her sleeping platform and held a weapon on him. It was as though, in some strange way, he was still chained—chained to her.

“Fine,” he growled. “But I’m not sitting on the floor for twenty minutes.”

He stood wearily and gathered her small form into his arms.

“Hey!” She struggled weakly. “Hey, what are you doing? Put me down.”

“No,” he said shortly. “And stop fighting me—I am too tired for that now.”

Though she continued to protest, she went still in his arms and he was at last able to relax back against the cushions of the chair. He held her gently but firmly against his chest and found that, though he was still taking half her pain, it was much more bearable this way.

“Why are you doing this?” she whispered, going limp against him.

“I don’t know,” Stav said honestly. “Gods, if I did, I’d be a wiser male than I am now.”

He closed his eyes tiredly and let the agony roll through him. Twenty minutes, he reminded himself. You can do anything for twenty min—

“Stavros? Commander Stavros Rii?”

The voice in his head made him jerk and caused the female in his arms to moan. Unconsciously, Stav rubbed her back soothingly as he answered the call.

“Who is this? Are you bespeaking me from the Mother Ship?”

“I am—or have been trying to for hours. This is Commander Sylvan of the High Council. We have need of you here.”

“But I—” Stav began.

“I know you don’t want to leave your post but you must. There is a mission only you can perform, Commander. The fate of the Kindred and of the entire planet Earth may rest on it.”

Stav sat up straighter, the borrowed agony flowing through his body almost forgotten.

“Of course, Commander Sylvan—what must I do?”

“First we need…you up here. But…very…”

“What?” Stavros strained to hear the voice in his head. “I’m sorry, Commander Sylvan but the transmission is breaking up.”

“…quickly!” the voice of Commander Sylvan echoed in his mind. “But…careful. Dark…very…must not…”

“What? I can’t hear you!” Stav sent with frustration.

“…dangerous!” was the last word he caught and then the strange, temporary link Commander Sylvan had somehow been able to establish with him was gone.

I can’t wait anymore, he thought, looking at the female in his arms. I must go now. I have to get back to my shuttle and get to the Mother Ship now—tonight!

But what to do with Charlotte? She was in the grip of unspeakable pain. It might have eased the tiniest bit but it was still horrible. Stav felt strongly that he couldn’t leave her this way.

Why leave her at all? whispered a little voice in his brain. Why not take her with you? The more he thought of it, the better the idea seemed. After all, she had admitted that no one here on Earth could help her with her desperate medical condition. Maybe someone on the Mother Ship could. Also, this way she wouldn’t get into trouble with her superior for losing him. She could simply say she’d been kidnapped. The conflict with Earth would surely be over soon and she could be returned to her home planet unharmed, as a heroic prisoner of war.

Mind made up, Stav rose, lifting her in his arms. The pain was still bad but easing bit by bit. Now that he had a direct course of action, he felt more than able to carry her out to the car and get where they needed to go.

Charlotte, however, seemed to have other ideas.

“Hey, wait!” She struggled weakly in his arms. “What are you doing? Where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere you can get help,” he growled. “Now stop struggling and tell me where the keys to your vehicle and these damn cuffs are. We don’t have much time.”

Chapter Six

Charlie tried to fight him but it was like beating against a brick wall. Before she knew it they were in her car and on the way back to the place she’d found him in the first place—the dirt road behind Bad Decisions. Shortly after that he was carrying her through a field and folding her gently into one of the little Kindred shuttle cars that he must have parked and left before she got to him.

She tried to protest but the medicine was finally beginning to work and her mouth didn’t want to work. Later, she knew from experience, it wouldn’t want to stop working—the muscle relaxers had that effect on her. But for now she was mute as the car transformed into a shuttle and lifted off the ground taking her away from her home and everything she had ever known.

“You’re going to be all right.” Stavros cast a glance at her as he manipulated the steering yoke and the array of complicated looking controls. “I’m taking you someplace they can cure you of your affliction.”

My affliction? she thought fuzzily. What the hell is he talking about? What affliction? But when she opened her mouth to ask, the sight outside the shuttle’s window took her breath away.

As they pulled away from Earth’s surface, she could see the grid of lights blinking on the darkened globe like a giant map. The sight was both beautiful and frightening—and something she had never expected to see. She’d taken great pains to be sure she would never be called as a Kindred bride and now, here she was being abducted by one of the big aliens anyway.

They were headed out fast and she could see the various satellites that orbited her home planet whizzing past. Somehow, Stavros managed to avoid them all.

Then a new satellite showed up—a black one-so black it was hard to see. What made it visible was the fact that it pulsed with some dark energy. To Charlie, it almost looked like a hole in space outlined by a black light.

“What in the Seven Hells?” she heard the big Kindred beside her mutter and then the satellite—or was it a ship?—was shooting at them.

Beams of light fired silently from the black ship and she felt their small shuttle shutter as one made contact. Stavros cursed in that same, strange guttural language and twisted the steering yoke, causing the little ship to dip and dive alarmingly.

“Oh my God!” Charlie gasped, finding her voice at last. Her stomach rolled as the shuttle dipped again and then did a barrel roll. The black ship was still following them but now Stavros turned quickly and returned fire.

Perhaps it was the suddenness of his move but he scored a direct hit. Charlie saw the other ship blow in a silent explosion of light and tiny fragments. Wait a minute—that was a big-ass bang. Why didn’t I hear it?

“We’re in space,” Stavros answered and Charlie realized she must have spoken her question aloud. “Sound waves can’t travel in a vacuum. The only reason you can feel the effects of the ship maneuvering instead of just floating weightlessly is the artificial grav-con.”

“What…what was that thing you blew up?” Charlie asked, speaking with some difficulty since her head was still fuzzy.

“Not what—who.” He spoke tensely, never taking his eyes from the viewscreen at the front of the ship. “I am not certain but it looked like the ship of a Dark Kindred. Though why they are in Earth’s air space I do not know.”

“Dark Kindred? Who the hell are th—”

“Another one!” He swore softly under his breath. “There’s a whole fleet out there. Hang on—I wanted to take us straight to the Mother Ship but I can’t. We need to take evasive action and stay hidden somewhere for a short time.”

“So we’re gonna lay low for a while?” Charlie asked. “Where?”

He spared her a quick glance. “Earth’s sister planet isn’t far from here and I believe its cover of green house gasses should mask our energy signal.”

“Sister planet? What?” Charlie frowned.

“Venus,” he said impatiently. “Named for your goddess of love, is it not?”

“I guess,” Charlie muttered. “I’m not up on my Greek mythology. It wasn’t exactly required reading at the police academy I attended.”

“It is for us,” Stavros said. “We are required to know all about your myths and legends in order to understand your culture.”

“You are?”

He nodded shortly.

“Hang on, I’m going to get us to Venusian air space as quickly as possible. We’ll hide on the far side of the planet until its safe to make another try for the Mother Ship.”

“’K.” Charlie nodded agreeably. The meds were kicking in stronger than ever and as the last of her pain floated away, she felt like she was being enveloped in a big, puffy cloud. It occurred to her that she might just be having some kind of a hallucination brought on by doubling up on the muscle relaxers. She really wasn’t supposed to take more than one at a time but the pain had been so intense she had instinctively gone for two. Possibly right now she was lying on the carpeted floor of her bedroom and dreaming vividly that she was in an alien’s spaceship flying to Venus.

That has to be it, she thought and yawned. How else can you explain all this weirdness? How else can you… Her eyes drifted closed before she could finish the thought and she knew no more.

* * * * *

When she opened her eyes the first thing she saw a blanket of stars stretched out across a black velvet background.

The second thing was a huge alien male bending over her with a look of concern on his face. His very handsome, chiseled face, she couldn’t help noticing and a mane of thick, dark auburn hair was clubbed at the back of his neck. She opened her mouth to ask where she was, how she had gotten there, and who he was.

“Hey, you’re kinda cute,” was what came out instead.

He frowned and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Excuse me?”

“Uh…” Suddenly everything came back—capturing the big Kindred, Purvis insisting she take him to her home, her horrible migraine-period, her prisoner breaking her bed and then abducting her…And taking double the amount of medication you’re supposed to have. Don’t forget that part, a little voice in her head reminded her helpfully. But that didn’t seem to matter—none of it did. And all the memories that floated into her head seemed like daydreams—something that had happened to someone else.

“I see you’re beginning to come back to yourself,” the big Kindred remarked, still looking down at her.

For the first time, Charlie noticed he was shirtless, although how she could have missed that broad, muscular expanse of chest earlier she didn’t know. He had a towel slung around his neck and there were beads of water dotting his broad, tan shoulders. Peeking out from under the edges of the towel were the thick, curving lines of an intricate tattoo. She wondered if it just covered the back of his neck or if it went all the way down his back.

“You’re naked,” she said stupidly, her fuzzy brain trying to process what she was seeing.

“We are safe here so I took a shower while you slept,” he returned. “But I am not nude—I have my leathers on—see?” He motioned down to his black leather trousers and boots.

“You look good naked,” Charlie murmured, eyeing his chest some more. “Damn good.” He had a small patch of dark auburn hair between the flat copper disks of his nipples and his skin was nicely tan, not fish belly white like so many redheads she’d seen. The six-pack abs were well defined and his arms were heavy with muscle. Yummy!

“Well…thank you. I find you, er, most attractive as well.” His deep indigo eyes roamed over her body as she lay there, stretched out in the passenger side chair. “I would be lying if I said otherwise.”

Charlie struggled to sit up and he put an arm around her shoulders and eased her gently into a sitting position. The clean scent of his skin, masculine and warm and somehow spicy filled her senses. Her already fuzzy head seemed to get even lighter until it felt like someone had replaced her brain with a fluffy pink wad of cotton candy.

“Mmmm.” Instead of letting him go, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck, inhaling deeply. “Y’ smell damn good too,” she murmured, slurring her words a little. She knew it was the medicine talking for her—and acting for her too—but at the moment it didn’t seem to matter. A big, sexy guy was holding her in his arms and it had been a looong time since that had happened. Actually, it had been a long time since she’d even wanted it to happen. And she’d never expected to want it to happen with a Kindred. Not since Missy—

But even in her drug impaired state her mind wouldn’t let her to go there. She’d worked too hard to bury it to bring it up now.

Now she just wanted to enjoy herself.

“Mmmm,” she murmured again, snuggling closer. “God, you smell incredible. Makes me wanna just lick you all over like a big ol’ ice cream cone.” Only the very barest trace of common sense still lingering in her brain kept her from doing just that.

The big Kindred—who had stiffened at first—relaxed and let her hug him.

“You smell good to me too. Are you well, Charlotte?” he asked, his breath warm against the side of her neck.

“Never better,” she purred. “And don’t call me Charlotte, I never liked that name. Call me Charlie.”

“All right…Charlie.” He said it hesitantly, as though tasting the name. “And you may call me Stav if you like. Uh…” He shifted and she realized he was bending over her awkwardly since she still had her arms around his neck.

“I’m sorry,” she said, not letting go. “Are you getting a backache standing like this?”

“It is not the most comfortable position in the world,” he rumbled. “Although I would endure it gladly for your sake. But I do need to keep an eye on the viewscreen.”

“This seat isn’t very comfortable for me either,” Charlie loosened her grip a little bit and gave him her best pouty face—the one she hadn’t used since she was a little girl and wanted something from her daddy. “I liked it better when you were holding me—like you did at my place.”

“I can again…if you like. I could still keep an eye on the instrument panel that way,” he offered. When she nodded eagerly, he scooped her up and settled back into the captain’s chair with her in his lap.

Charlie sighed contentedly and put her arms around his narrow waist and her head on his broad shoulder. Somewhere inside a little voice was screaming that she was acting a fool, that she would pay for all this later but she didn’t even care. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so good. So warm and comfortable and protected. Some instinct buried deep in her subconscious told her she was in the arms of a male who would kill or die to protect her. She didn’t know how she knew it—she just knew it and that knowledge as well as the feeling of his big, muscular arms around her was incredibly comforting.

“You are acting…very differently from when we first met,” Stav remarked.

“Mmm-hmm. If you mean I’m not holding a gun on you, it’s ‘cause I don’t have one here. You kicked mine under the bed,” she reminded him.

“I wanted to keep you from pointing it at me,” he rumbled. “Getting rid of your weapon seemed the best way to avoid getting shot.”

“You really think I would’ve shot you?” She looked up at him, all wide-eyed innocence.

“I don’t know—would you?” He looked down at her curiously.

“Hell yes—if you needed shootin’.” For some reason this struck her as funny and she started to giggle. “Couldn’t…miss you if I did,” she went on, still laughing. “You’re as broad as a…as a damn barn door.”

He was smiling too, an expression that seemed to originate more in those deep blue eyes though the corner of his full mouth quirked up a little too.

“I thought we agreed not to talk about each other’s personal assets?”

“You mean your size?” Charlie giggled again. “Got news for you, cowboy—that’s not the only part of you that’s big.” She wiggled in his lap, rubbing against the growing lump she could feel under her ass. “Mmm, pants-python,” she murmured and then burst into another fit of giggles.

“Um…” Stavros shifted, his face growing red. “Charlotte—”

“Charlie!” she corrected him.

“Yes. Charlie, may I ask what exactly was in that medication you took? Was there some kind of drug that helps loosen inhibitions?”

“You mean something that would make me do this?” Tangling her fingers in the thick auburn hair at the nape of his neck, she dragged his head down and planted a kiss on his full lips.

* * * * *

Stavros stiffened against her at first, then his instincts too over and he kissed her back with passionate intensity. Careless of anything else, he crushed her to him, feeding on her sweet, pink lips, tasting her as he knew he had been wishing to do almost from the moment he heard her silky voice in his ear telling him not to move.

Gods, I shouldn’t be doing this! Shouldn’t be taking advantage… He was reasonably certain the way she was acting had more to do with her medication than a sudden liking she might have taken to him. But she just felt so right in his arms—though her body was small compared to his, she was lush and ripe in all the right places. Her soft, full breasts crushed against his bare chest and the feel of her rounded bottom rubbing against his rock-hard shaft was almost more than he could bear. Her lips were sweet too, as kissably soft as he’d imagined and the tip of her tongue was dancing lightly inside his mouth, teasing him, provoking him to pull her closer, to kiss her harder…

Suddenly she stiffened in his arms and pulled back.

“Ouch!”

“What is it?” Stavros pulled back, panting and shamefaced. He shouldn’t have taken advantage of her that way. But somehow when she’d pressed herself against him he had lost all control. What was wrong with him?

“You bit me—hard!” she put a finger to her mouth and it came away bloody. She stared at it, wide-eyed. “Why did you do that?”

“An accident. Forgive me.” It was hard to talk since his fangs had grown suddenly so long and sharp. They throbbed from base to tip and when he dared to run the tip of his tongue over one sharp edge, he tasted a salty droplet and knew it was her blood.

There was another taste too—something only he could have detected. Subtly numbing and cooling at the same time, it tingled on his tongue.

Essence. Did I inject her? If so, how much did she get?

He knew he should examine her and offer to heal the wound his fangs had made but she was staring at him mistrustfully now and honestly, Stavros didn’t blame her. He wasn’t entirely sure he could trust himself at this moment. What was wrong with him, taking advantage of her that way? Clearly the medicine had incapacitated her. How could he look himself in the viewer again after acting in such a way with a helpless female?

“Forgive me,” he said, lifting her and placing her carefully back in the passenger side chair. “I…am not sure what came over me.”

“I…” She shook her head. “I don’t know either but I liked it—liked it a hell of a lot. Except for the biting, that is. You have to warn a girl if you’re gonna get kinky.”

“It was not my intention to get…kinky,” Stavros said stiffly. “If you’ll pardon me a moment, I think it should be safe to try and contact the Mother Ship now.”

“Sure…” She waved one hand expansively, the small injury apparently already forgotten. “Go for it. Just don’t get us shot at again.”

“The Dark Kindred usually fly their formations at intervals,” Stavros explained as he worked to establish a connection. “We just need to find a time when they’re not in the immediate air space of the Mother Ship and make a swift, direct approach.”

“Uh-huh, sounds good.” Her eyes were closing again—the medication she had taken was apparently still in effect. Stavros wondered uneasily what she would remember when it wore off and how she would feel about what had occurred between them? Well, he supposed he would find out later.

As the viewscreen finally popped into life and its cool glow filled the shuttle’s cabin, he wondered again if he had injected her with his essence. And what was he going to do if he had?

Chapter Seven

Charlie woke with the taste of blood in her mouth and the vague feeling that she’d been acting the fool, although how exactly her fuzzy brain refuse to explain. She groaned and blinked, trying to make the blurry room come into focus. Am I in some kind of hospital? Is this a hospital bed? Why am I wearing a gown instead of my clothes? How did I get here?

“Oh look—she’s coming around,” an unfamiliar feminine voice said. Suddenly a redheaded girl was leaning over her. She was holding a baby with a shock of almost white hair in her arms. Though the baby appeared quite young, it gazed alertly at Charlie with odd, silvery-gray eyes. They reminded her of the color of mercury when you broke an old fashioned thermometer and the liquid metal came pouring out.

“Um,” she said, struggling to sit up.

“Just stay where you are—you’ve been through a lot.” Another anxious face peered at her—a girl with smooth, creamy brown skin and gorgeous green eyes. “Hi, I’m Becca.” She was holding a baby as well—this one had black hair and grayish-blue eyes.

“And I’m Mei-Li,” a third girl said. She was petite and had long, silky black hair that hung in a curtain around her face. Her dark almond-shaped eyes were filled with concern and for some reason, Charlie thought she looked familiar. The baby she held had blond hair and green eyes.

“What’s going on?” Charlie demanded, sitting up even though it made her head feel like it was going to split open. “Who are you people and why are you bringing me babies?”

“Oh! Oh no, doll—you’ve got it all wrong!” The redhead began to laugh. “We just wanted to check on you because we heard you were hurt.”

“And because we haven’t seen a new face around the Mother Ship for awhile,” the girl holding the black-haired baby said. “At least not since the stupid war started. I’m Becca, by the way.”

“And I’m Kat,” the redhead said. “And that’s Mei-Li.” She indicated the girl with long black hair. “She’s our newest addition to the Mother Ship—or she was until you showed up.”

“Okay…” Charlie looked at them warily. “That’s nice, I guess but it still doesn’t explain the babies.”

“Oh these little guys? They’re all mine.” The redhead smiled proudly. “Their fathers are away for a little while so I pressed Becca and Mei-Li here into baby sitting duty. Having triplets isn’t easy—I’ve only got one set of arms.”

“They’re adorable, aren’t they?” Becca cooed, tickling the black haired baby’s cheek until he gurgled. “Look, this one is Seeks War—because he’s always fighting with his brothers. Well, with that one, anyway.” She nodded at the baby with silver-white hair.

“And this one is Makes Peace, because he somehow manages to get between them and stop the fighting.” Mei-Li indicated the blond haired baby she was holding.

“Get it?” Kat asked grinning. “War and Peace. Cute, huh?”

“Um, I guess so.” Charlie nodded at the baby with liquid silver eyes. “And who’s that?”

“Oh that’s Shad. Short for Shadow.” Kat sighed and shrugged. “We tried to think of a more traditional Twin Kindred name but nothing else really seemed to fit him. So…Shad it is.”

“He’s cute,” Charlie said neutrally. Normally she loved babies but these weren’t exactly normal circumstances she found herself in. “So…all of you were abducted forced to come up here for a Claiming Period and you just stayed here?” she asked, looking at the three of them.

“I wouldn’t say abducted, exactly,” Kat protested.

“I would,” Mei-Li said quietly. “When Six came to get me, it started a media firestorm. That’s why we’re in this mess in the first place.”

“Don’t mind Mei-Li,” Becca said easily. “She thinks she’s the reason for the whole war.”

“Well I am,” Mei-Li said earnestly. “If my father hadn’t freaked out…and then later when I ignored the message from the Goddess…”

“You’re Senator Hastings’ daughter,” Charlie exclaimed. “I knew you looked familiar—your face has been plastered all over the TV for weeks!”

Mei-Li sighed unhappily. “Oh dear, that sounds like something my father would do. He loves me but he’s not above using me for his ‘cause.’”

“He started the EPB too—the Earth Protection Bureau,” Charlie told her. “I’m an EPB officer myself.”

“Really?” Kat’s eyes widened. “Aren’t they extremely anti-Kindred?”

“They are,” Charlie said, lifting her chin. “And so am I. That’s why I took the job.” It might be an unpopular opinion here on the Mother Ship but she’d be damned if she would hide how she felt.

“Wow—is that how you met Commander Stavros?” Becca asked. “You were trying to arrest him or something?”

“That’s about the long and the short of it,” Charlie admitted. “In fact, I did arrest him. Had him cuffed up and everything but he escaped.” She frowned, trying to remember exactly what had happened after Stavros had broken her bedposts and gotten away. Everything was still extremely fuzzy. “Then for some reason I guess he decided to bring me up here,” she said, shrugging. “Maybe he was retaliating—an eye for an eye or something like that.”

“I don’t think it was about retaliation—he said you were sick,” Kat said.

“We saw him bringing you in,” Becca added. “He was carrying you so carefully—wouldn’t let anyone else touch you.”

“He was very protective,” Mei-Li said, nodding. “And you should know that they have the best medicine up here on the Mother Ship. Whatever is wrong, they can fix it.”

“Fix it?” Charlie looked at them blankly. “I’m not sick. I’m just—”

“It’s very good to see you, Commander Stavros. I’m glad you were able to make it with no problems,” a man’s voice said just outside the door to her room.

“I wouldn’t exactly say no problems, Commander Sylvan,” Stavros’s voice replied. “What in the Seven Hells are the Dark Kindred doing in this sector?”

“That’s a long story—too long to tell you now although I promise you’ll hear all about it during our special briefing,” the other Kindred replied. “But before that, I know you’re very anxious to get your female examined.”

“She is not exactly my female but I do feel responsible for her,” Stavros said. “I brought her up here because of her severe pain and bleeding—though I could never find the wound or I would have tried to seal and heal it.”

“You would, hmm?” Commander Sylvan sounded like he might be raising his eyebrows. “It sounds to me as though you feel more than just ‘responsible’ for her, Commander Stavros. You and I both know a Blood Kindred only heals his bride.”

“I cannot take a bride for reasons that you must be aware of,” Stavros said stolidly. “But I do wish to take care of this female and heal her of her affliction.”

“Very well, I’ll examine her. Can you tell me first what the symptoms of her illness are?”

“A terrible stabbing, cramping pain in the lower abdomen/pelvis area,” Stavros said. “Accompanied by bleeding. She told me that this happens to her every lunar cycle and no medical personnel on Earth have been able to help her.”

When the men had started talking outside her door, all of the girls inside, including Charlie, had instinctively gone silent. Now Kat broke the quiet with a stifled giggle.

“Oh my God,” she whispered to Charlie. “Did I just hear him say he brought you up here because you were on your period?”

Reluctantly, Charlie nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. I do have really bad ones from time to time but—”

“Can you tell me anything else?” the Kindred named Sylvan was asking.

“Just that the only thing that helps her during these attacks is medication which causes her to act completely out of character,” Stavros answered. “She was…under its influence while we were together in the shuttle, waiting for a safe passage to the Mother Ship. She was asleep when I brought her in but I am not certain if she will be completely, uh, lucid now or not.”

Charlie put her head in her hands and groaned softly. Suddenly all of the fuzzy details her brain had refused to reveal earlier were coming painfully clear. The way she had flirted with Stavros in the shuttle, begging to sit on his lap, cuddling up with him… And kissing him! Don’t forget you laid a live one on him up there while you were snuggled up on his lap like he was Santa Clause or something, whispered a sarcastic little voice in her head.

The metallic taste of blood in her mouth from the unhealed cut reminded her of how that particular kiss had ended. And a good thing too—if he hadn’t bitten her, who knew what kind of mischief she might have gotten into next?

Oh my God, I acted like a complete and total fool! Charlie wanted to sink through the floor and disappear completely—just let the blackness of space take her away. Anything so she didn’t have to face Stavros again.

“What is it, doll?” Kat asked softly. “Are you in pain? Having cramps?”

Strangely, even though the muscle relaxers appeared to have worn off, she wasn’t. Actually, she wasn’t feeling a bit of pain. Well, not physical pain, anyway.

“I’m fine,” she said, sighing. “Just having some regrets, that’s all.”

Kat raised an eyebrow at her. “Regrets?”

“Never mind. It’s complicated.” Charlie rubbed her temples. She might be over her cramps but she could feel the mother of all tension headaches coming on.

“Well, maybe we’d better go and let you talk to Sylvan and Commander Stavros,” Becca said tactfully. “I think little War here is getting hungry.”

“Peace too,” Mei-Li said. “And Six is expecting me back at our suite soon.”

“We’ll go,” Kat decided. “But listen, feel free to look us up if you need some female companionship. We all know firsthand how aggravating these Kindred males can be sometimes so if your guy is giving you trouble—”

“He’s not my guy,” Charlie protested. “Really, he’s not! He was my prisoner and now I’m his. End of story.”

“Yeah, okay. Whatever you say, doll.” Kat winked at her. “See you later.”

Just then, Stavros opened the door. He stood aside, holding it respectfully as Kat and her friends and the babies left and then he and a blond haired Kindred warrior entered Charlie’s room.

Charlie sat up straighter, suddenly wishing she had something besides the too-big hospital gown on. She was bare beneath it and she couldn’t help wondering who had taken off her clothes and where said clothing had gone.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” Stavros approached the bed warily. “How are you feeling?”

“Just fine,” Charlie said crisply. “Much more myself than I was last time we talked.”

She wanted him to get the message that she wasn’t going to be crawling all over him again and from the look of mingled relief and regret in his deep blue eyes, he understood.

“Excellent,” he said, nodding. “I was…quite concerned for you earlier. You didn’t seem to be, er, acting in character at all.”

“It was the muscle relaxers,” Charlie said quickly. “I told you—they make me loopy. I would never normally act the way I, um, acted when I took them.”

She wanted to tell him point blank that she hadn’t meant to kiss him or sit on his lap and act like a simpering little idiot but the presence of the other Kindred inhibited her.

“This is Commander Sylvan,” Stavros said, seeing her eyes flicker to the other male. “He is here to examine you. He is one of the finest doctors aboard the Mother Ship.”

“No examination needed,” Charlie said briskly. “I’m just fine and I’ll thank you kindly to return me to Earth.”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible, at least for now,” Commander Sylvan said gravely. “Commander Stavros has told me of your illness in detail, Ms. Sayers, why don’t you let me try to help you?”

“Because my illness isn’t an illness at all,” Charlie snapped. “It’s just my damn period.”

“Oh!” A dawning look of comprehension crossed the blond Kindred’s face. “Of course—I should have thought. Forgive me, Ms. Sayers.”

Stavros looked confused. “I’m sorry—is that supposed to mean something to me? What is a ‘period?’”

“It is part of the reproductive cycle of Earth females,” Commander Sylvan explained. “A normal part. You might as well have brought Ms. Sayers for treatment for ovulating or being pregnant.”

“That can’t be.” Stavros frowned. “I felt those pains, Commander Sylvan. They were agonizing—there was nothing normal about them.”

Charlie narrowed her eyes. “How could you feel my cramps? And didn’t you…take some of them for me? At least for awhile?” The fuzzy memories were becoming clearer and clearer and she was quite sure she was right—before she’d managed to swallow the muscle relaxers, Stavros had taken some of her pain. “You did, didn’t you?” she asked, staring at him. “How is that possible?”

“I am one of the Cursed,” Stavros spoke reluctantly.

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Charlie demanded, throwing his own words back at him. “What does that mean—one of the Cursed? Cursed with what?”

His face got a closed look. “It is highly personal—something I do not care to discuss.”

“Guess what, buddy—so is my period,” Charlie snapped. “I know you’re completely clueless about Earth customs but where I come from, girls don’t exactly consider their monthly ‘lady days’ as my mom used to call them, a topic for polite conversation.”

“Ms. Sayers is correct,” Commander Sylvan said. “Earth females are generally reluctant to speak about their reproductive cycles to males. The fact that you have revealed hers to me is just cause for her to dislike you and expect some kind of retribution. Probably in the form of an exchange of information.”

“In other words, tell me what the hell you’re talking about and how you could feel my pain,” Charlie said, glaring at Stavros.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Very well, I suppose it is only fair.”

“I’ll give you some privacy,” Commander Sylvan said tactfully. “But Commander Stavros, please don’t forget that the special briefing starts in one hour. It concerns the fate not only of the Mother Ship but also of the Earth. So don’t be late.”

“I will be there,” Stavros promised, nodding.

Sylvan nodded back and closed the door behind him.

Charlie turned at once to Stavros.

“What does he mean, the fate of the Earth? What’s going on? Have the Kindred developed some kind of secret weapon to use against us?”

“You think I would tell you if we had?” he asked blandly. “But no—I told you, even though you have declared war on us, we wish you no harm. I think that the Dark Kindred have something to do with it but I won’t know until I attend the briefing.”

“Who are the ‘Dark Kindred?’ No, wait—we’re getting off topic,” Charlie said. “First, tell me about how you could feel my pain and how you took some of it for me. And why.”

He sighed and came over to the side of the bed. “Do you mind?” he asked. When she shook her head, he sat at the foot of the bed, on the side nearest to her.

“Now explain,” she said impatiently, trying not to notice the warmth of his big body radiating against her legs or the spicy, masculine scent that seemed to follow him everywhere. For some reason the little wound he’d made when he bit her began to sting and throb and the taste of blood in her mouth got stronger. She tried to ignore it and concentrate on what he was about to say.

Stavros closed his eyes briefly, as though collecting his thoughts. He was dressed in fresh black leather trousers and boots and a royal blue uniform shirt which seemed to be made of a thick, satiny material. It made his hair look deep red, like the embers of a fire, and Charlie suddenly wondered what it would look like if it was loosed from the club at the back of his neck and spread across his broad shoulders.

“Well?” she asked impatiently when he still didn’t speak.

“I suppose the best way to explain is to show you,” he said.

“Show me what?” Charlie asked but his fingers were already flying over the buttons of his uniform shirt. Before she knew it he had pulled it back and lowered it to his waist. He turned silently, showing her his broad, muscular back.

Charlie caught her breath, rendered speechless by what she saw.

His entire back from his neck down to the lower curve of his waist was covered in the broad, black curving lines of an intricate tattoo. But the lines seemed to shift as she stared at them, forming first one pattern…then another. And they didn’t stay black either. The colors shifted like a rainbow on the surface of an oil slick. Neon blue turned to turquoise turned to emerald green turned to vermillion turned to scarlet… It was a like a never ending Kaleidoscope of patterns and colors—a visual display that felt like it might hypnotize her if she stared at it too long.

“Beautiful,” she whispered. Hardly knowing what she did, she reached out to touch it, brushing the ever-flowing pattern with just the tips of her fingers.

Stavros flinched as though she’d burned him and shied away from her seeking fingers.

“I’m sorry,” Charlie said. “Did I hurt you?”

“You…surprised me.” He shrugged back into his shirt and turned to face her. “Among my people, no one will touch the mark of a Cursed One. It is considered…bad luck.”

“I don’t believe in superstitious nonsense,” Charlie said briskly. “And I still don’t understand how your tattoo—uh, mark—explains the whole pain thing.”

“The Cursed Ones—also called a Sin Eaters—are rare among my people.” Stavros kept his eyes down as he buttoned his shirt. “There are only two or three born every generation. We are called cursed because we feel the physical pain of those around us. That was how I knew you were ill.” He looked up at her. “Those really were terrible pains you were experiencing—you can’t tell me such an occurrence is normal.”

“It only happens once or twice a year that way.” Charlie shrugged. “It is normal—at least for me. I’ve learned to live with it.”

“The same way I’ve learned to live with my Curse, I suppose.” He sighed.

“I guess. But what about you taking some of my pain—how did you do that?”

He frowned. “I wasn’t sure that I could. But…my body responded to yours in the right way so it was possible.”

“What do you mean your body responded to mine?” she asked suspiciously. She could feel her cheeks getting hot but she had to know, even if the answer was embarrassing.

“It…my body thought I was trying to claim you as a bride. As a mate.” Stavros’s cheeks were dull red but he lifted his chin and met her eyes unflinchingly. “I was not, of course. But taking your pain would not have been possible otherwise.”

Charlie’s heart skipped a beat and the cut on the tip of her tongue ached and stung for some reason. She ignored it and tried to cover her confusion by looking right back at him, never dropping her gaze.

“Fine, but you still didn’t answer why. Why did you take my pain? I had taken you prisoner and was going to turn you in to the authorities—well, if my stupid boss ever let me. Why did you care enough about me to take some of my pain yourself? You should have hated me.”

“I tried. I…could not.” He looked away, breaking the strange staring contest they had somehow gotten into. “And I could not let you bear so much pain on your own. I just…couldn’t.”

“Uh-huh. Well, thanks I guess,” Charlie muttered. “Although I wish you hadn’t dragged me up here to the Mother Ship. This is the one place I’ve been trying to avoid for years and here I am.”

“I though you were ill,” he protested. “How could I know such agonizing pain was normal for you? It shouldn’t be, you know. You ought to let Commander Sylvan examine you. Maybe he can do something to help ease your pain during your next monthly cycle.”

“Maybe,” Charlie said neutrally. “Right now the only thing that hurts is my tongue where you bit me.”

She wished at once that she hadn’t brought it up. She could have gone all day without talking about the passionate kiss they had shared when she was hopped up on muscle relaxers but no, she had to mention it and here they were.

“Forgive me,” he said, looking as uncomfortable as she felt. “It was unpardonable of me to take advantage of you when you were in an altered mental state.”

“No, it was my fault too,” Charlie said quickly. “I was, uh, kind of asking for it. Though I would never act that way if I wasn’t high on pain killers, I swear.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t. You strike me as a very…controlled kind of person,” he said.

Charlie gave a short, unhappy laugh. “That’s what my sister Missy used to say. She…never mind.”

He looked at her. “You have a sister?”

“Had a sister. I don’t want to talk about her,” Charlie snapped. “I—” She had to stop because the throbbing in her cut tongue was becoming unbearable. She cupped a hand over her mouth. “Ouch. I’m sorry, I just…”

“You have pain where I bit you.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Not pain exactly.” Charlie dropped her hand and looked away. “It’s just…uncomfortable.”

“It is pain. I can feel it.” He sighed. “I fear this is my fault. I think I must have injected you with my essence when we kissed.”

“What? You injected me with your what?” She had a sudden fear. “Hey, this isn’t how you Kindred make babies is it? I noticed that my cramps are all gone—that isn’t because you made me pregnant is it?”

“Certainly not,” he said dryly. “We procreate in much the same way you humans do. It would take something much more…intimate than a kiss for me to make you pregnant.”

“Okay, good.” Charlie felt a cautious sense of relief. “But then what was it you injected me with?”

“My essence. It comes from my fangs—see?” He opened his mouth and pointed out two sets of long, curving double fangs on either side of his upper teeth. They looked wickedly sharp and a small bluish droplet was clinging to the point of one set.

“That blue stuff? Is that it?” she asked, trying not to shudder.

He nodded. “Blood Kindred use it to heal their mates of any obvious wounds. But in this case, you received an incomplete dose of it when I kissed you and accidentally cut your mouth—your tongue. Instead of healing a wound, it caused the one I gave you to remain unhealed. It may even be worse than when it was first made.”

“It does feel worse,” Charlie admitted. “But what can you do about it? Is there some kind of medicine or—”

“The only medicine—the only thing that can heal the wound—is more essence.”

Unconsciously, Charlie had been leaning towards him. Now she drew back.

“Wait---you’re saying you want to bite me again? Huh-uh—no way!”

“Not bite you,” he protested quickly. “I simply have to bathe the wound with more essence. When you receive a complete dose, you should heal almost immediately with no problem.”

“So you want to what…kiss me again?” Charlie raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well…” He shifted uncomfortably. “Not a kiss exactly. But I would need to lick the wounded area in order to spread my essence there. It shouldn’t actually take very long.”

“The ‘wounded area’ is my tongue,” Charlie pointed out. “You’re asking to lick me there—that’s a kiss.”

He shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling with the motion. “Call it what you like. I made the wound and my essence is the only thing that can heal it. You can ask Commander Sylvan if you like—he is also a Blood Kindred and can tell you I am telling the truth.”

“I don’t think you’re lying, exactly,” Charlie said slowly. She got the feeling that Stavros was one of those excruciatingly truthful types. “I’m just saying it sounds damn awkward—that’s all.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” he promised quickly. “If you’ll let me, I can heal you in less than a minute, I promise.”

“Well…” She looked at him uncertainly. But then the throbbing in her tongue got even worse. If he really was telling the truth—and she thought he was—this pain wasn’t going away and the wound wasn’t going to heal. She could just imagine how it would feel the next time she tried to drink a glass of cold lemonade or eat anything with tomatoes in it. “All right,” she said at last. “But I want to brush my teeth first—my mouth tastes like blood.”

“There are bathing and oral hygiene facilities in the fresher,” he said, pointing to a door she assumed led to a bathroom. “I will wait for you.”

“Fine. Thank you.”

God, had she really just agreed to kiss him again? What was wrong with her? She didn’t have an answer.

With as much dignity as she could, Charlie climbed out of the high hospital bed and went into the bathroom, holding the hem of her hospital Johnny tightly closed behind her. She would worry about it later.

Chapter Eight

Stav waited impatiently for her to finish in the fresher. When he heard the water running loudly, he realized that she must have decided to take a shower as well as cleaning her teeth. A glance at the chronometer strapped to his wrist told him the special briefing was still forty minutes away so he had time to wait. But he didn’t want to. Didn’t want to wait to taste those sweet lips again.

It’s not a kiss—you’re just healing her, he reminded himself sternly. But his aching shaft and throbbing fangs didn’t want to listen. Over and over he kept reliving the feel of her in his arms, the warm, sweet taste of her mouth. The way her lush breasts had pressed against him and the way she’d kissed him back so passionately.

It wouldn’t be like that this time, he knew. It would be cold—clinical. He would taste her for only the briefest possible time in order to heal the cut his fangs had made. Then he would release her and leave her room and probably never see her again since the Kindred High Council was sending him on some kind of secret mission.

But still, how he wanted to taste her mouth just once before he went.

You’re being an idiot, a little voice whispered fiercely in his head. She doesn’t like Kindred and even if she did, even if she wanted you, you couldn’t have her. You can’t claim a bride and form a soul bond with anyone—remember?

He did remember—how could he forget?

But that didn’t stop him from wishing.

* * * * *

Charlie stepped out of the shower and dried herself on the weird blue bath towel hanging on the rack. It didn’t seem to be made of terrycloth or any other material she’d ever seen and when she wrapped it around herself, it dried her instantly, sucking away every drop of moisture from her skin. It didn’t dry her hair completely but she didn’t mind. She put it up in a ponytail again, using the small pack of hair scrunchies someone had thoughtfully provided.

The same someone had also washed and folded her clothes and provided a brand new toothbrush and toothpaste as well. Charlie felt a hundred percent better as she got dressed in the clean pink t-shirt and black yoga pants. Even the little black ballet flat slippers she’d been wearing were clean.

She would have looked around to see if there were any tampons available as well, but she had noticed in the shower that she didn’t need them. It appeared that her period was finished almost before it had started. Though she was glad to have it over, she couldn’t help wondering if Stavros’s intervention might have something to do with it.

His essence…that blue stuff I saw on his fangs…could that have done it? She shivered a little when she thought of those sharp double points on either side of his mouth. Though she generally scoffed at romance books, she’d always had a secret weakness for vampire stories. Especially the kind where the hapless heroine can’t stop herself from offering her neck to the bloodthirsty but handsome vamp.

What would it be like, baring her throat for the beast? Feeling those sharp fangs sink into her tender flesh…?

She shook herself out of the semi-erotic fantasy angrily. Stop it! What’s wrong with you? You can’t be thinking of him that way—he’s not a vampire and he’s not some dark, brooding hero in a silly romance book! He’s just a prisoner who escaped and dragged you onto his home turf. Not only that he’s a Kindred. Don’t fall for his crap, Charlie—these alien bastards can’t be trusted and you know it.

Yes, after what had happened to Missy, she knew it to the marrow of her bones. Oh Missy… On her tombstone it said her real name—Miranda Jane Sayers. But when Charlie was little, she’d been unable to say “Miranda.” She had started out calling her sister “Sissy” but that had gotten mixed with her name and it somehow came out as “Missy.” And Missy was who she would always be in Charlie’s heart. The sweet, gentle girl who had wanted to be a vet because she loved animals. The girl who died too soon because…

Still lost in thought, she squirted some toothpaste on the brush and stuck it in her mouth without thinking.

“Ouch!” she gasped when the minty paste assaulted the cut on her tongue. She spit frantically and turned on the tap, scooping cool water into her mouth to try and calm the burn. In her haste she knocked a glass off the counter with her elbow and it shattered on the stone-tile floor at her feet.

Behind her, the bathroom door flew open, revealing Stavros with a worried look on his face.

“Hey!” Charlie protested, drying her mouth on the towel. “What do you think you’re doing? I don’t know how your world works but in mine, the bathroom is private.”

“I heard you cry out and then a loud crash. I thought you had fallen and hurt yourself in your weakened state.” He came to her, his boots crunching on the broken glass. “Are you well?”

“I’m fine.” She didn’t know whether to be exasperated or flattered by his concern for her. “And I’m not weak. It’s just this stupid cut—I got some toothpaste on it and it really burns.”

“I need to heal you.” With no warning, he scooped her up in his arms.

“Hey!” Charlie exclaimed again. “Put me down!”

“You’re barefoot and the floor is full of broken glass.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you certain that’s what you want?”

“All right,” she grumbled, giving in with poor grace. “Take me out, then.”

“As you wish.” He carried her out of the bathroom and then settled on the side of the bed, still holding her in his arms.

“You can put me down now.” Charlie’s heart was pounding—she wasn’t sure why. “I mean, I really am fine.”

“No you’re not. You’re wounded. And I must heal you.”

The look in his eyes was beyond intense as he cupped her cheek.

“But…” Charlie started to protest, her heart pounding.

“Open to me.” His voice had gone deep and soft and commanding. “Open and let me heal you, Charlotte.”

“I…” But further words of protest seemed to die on her lips as he bent her over his arm and sealed his mouth to hers.

Charlie gave a little gasp as she felt his lips press gently but firmly to hers. Then his tongue was there, tracing the seam of her lips, seeking entrance. She wanted to pull away and cuss at him—tell him he had no right. Instead she felt her lips parting, allowing him in when she knew she shouldn’t.

He’s just healing me, she told herself desperately. It’s not really a kiss. But it certainly felt like one, especially when his tongue entwined with hers and he sucked gently, as though inviting her to explore his mouth as he was exploring hers.

Charlie gave a helpless little moan and took his unspoken invitation. God, his mouth was so warm and he tasted like cinnamon—cinnamon and some exotic mint she’d never had before. She could feel the edges of his fangs but this time he somehow managed to keep from cutting her with them even when the tip of her tongue danced dangerously over their razor-sharp points. The kiss went on and on and his dark, spicy scent filled her senses until Charlie felt like she was drowning in him, being completely consumed from the inside out.

At the tips of her breasts her nipples were tingly and tight and the place between her legs was getting hot and wet and tender in a way that made her want to press her thighs together. She could feel the hard ridge of his cock under her ass, just as she had the first time they kissed and she knew Stavros was being affected too. God, if he didn’t stop soon she was going to—

Suddenly he pulled back and pushed her gently but firmly off his lap.

“What…?” Charlie looked up at him, uncomprehending. Her lips felt swollen from the intense kiss and her entire body was still throbbing with desire.

“You should be healed now.”

“I should what?” she asked stupidly.

“Healed. You should be healed now.” His deep voice sounded slightly strangled and the ridge of his cock in the tight leather trousers looked achingly hard but he made no move to reach out to her. For a moment, she couldn’t understand why. Then she remembered that the point of the kiss hadn’t been a kiss at all but only to heal her tongue.

She rubbed the tip of it experimentally against the back of her teeth and was surprised to feel no pain. She didn’t taste blood anymore, either—just the cinnamon/mint flavor of Stavros.

“I am healed.” She looked at him uncertainly. “Completely healed. How did you do that?”

He shrugged. “I told you---my essence. My body thinks I am preparing to take you as a bride and so it reacts accordingly.”

“Oh, I…I guess that’s good.” For some reason her cheeks were hot and her heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

“I am glad you are well,” he murmured. “But now I must go.”

“What, just like that?” Charlie blurted out without thinking.

He frowned. “I have the briefing to attend. Do you wish me to stay?”

“I guess not.” She sounded uncertain, even in her own ears. “I mean, of course not. You have to go so go.” She forced herself to straighten up and stop acting like a love struck teenager. “I’m fine now. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said gravely. He stood, straightening his immaculate uniform shirt. “Well, it appears I must bid you goodbye.”

“Only until after the meeting, whatever it is,” Charlie pointed out.

“Actually, I probably will not see you again—I think I am being sent away on a mission.” He looked down, obviously troubled. “It’s likely to be dangerous. I may not return at all so I must say goodbye to you now.”

“Oh,” Charlie said in a small voice. Stavros had the look of a man who was going to his doom and knew it. That look spoke to her…moved her somehow. She knew it was ridiculous but in the few hours she’d know him, she had begun to feel…what? What did she feel for him? Not trust exactly—she didn’t trust any man. But something, anyway. She felt something for him—something that made her sad to see him go, sad to think that he might be leaving to go to his death.

Don’t be stupid, she told herself. He took you prisoner, abducted you and brought you up to the damn Mother Ship. Why should you feel anything but loathing for him?

But the fact was, she did feel something for him—even if she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

“I should go.” He glanced at the watch-looking thing strapped to his wrist. “The Council meeting is in ten minutes.”

“Of course. Don’t let me keep you.” Charlie sat back, away from him, trying to keep her voice cool. “Good luck. Unless your mission has something to do with hurting Earth. In which case, I hope to hell you don’t succeed.”

Stavros cupped her cheek in one large, warm palm. Deep blue eyes looked into hers and she found that for some reason she couldn’t look away.

“I would never do anything to hurt you or your people, Charlie,” he murmured. “I hope you know that.”

“I…” She wasn’t sure what to say. But before she could think of anything, he kissed her lightly on the forehead and was gone.

Chapter Nine

“None of this is your fault, Lasai.” Six was sprawled on the couch, his long legs stretched out towards the fireplace, watching as Mei-Li paced back and forth in the living area of their suite.

“Are you kidding? It’s all my fault.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “My father started the war and then I made it worse by ignoring the message from the Goddess. The whole world is in a big mess and I’m the one who caused it.”

“Don’t you think you are being somewhat hard on yourself?” Six rumbled, watching her pace.

“No, I don’t. I think I’m not being hard enough.” Ever since she’d screwed up the warning she was supposed to give Sylvan about the demonic Ur, Mei-Li hadn’t been able to forgive herself. And now that Ur, the demon from a horrible place called the Black Planet, was inside Two, the head of the Collective, the group of thinking machines that wanted to conquer Earth, she couldn’t stop feeling like something terrible was going to happen. And when it does, it will be all my fault, she thought morosely. Completely all my fault.

Six sighed and she felt bad at once. He was probably tired of trying to reassure her. They’d only been together a few days officially and she’d spent most of that time guilt-tripping—it wasn’t exactly the perfect honeymoon.

But then he surprised her by saying, “All right, suppose it is all your fault.”

“Six!” She rounded on him, wide-eyed. “Look, I know you’re still getting used to dealing with emotions again but let me tell you, that is not the way to reassure your girlfriend. Or mate…or bride…or whatever you want to call me.”

“I call you mine,” he growled softly. “And I meant what I said. If we go by the premise that all the Earth’s troubles are your fault as you claim, then something must be done about it.”

“Something must be done? What are you talking about?” Mei-Li frowned at him. “What can be done?”

“Have you heard of the Kindred Law of Conduct?” Reaching out one long arm, Six caught her by the wrist and pulled her down into his lap. “Well?” he demanded.

“No, I haven’t. What is it?” Mei-Li stared at him uncertainly. He had a strange look in his steel gray eyes she hadn’t seen before.

“It is a law which states every warrior is responsible for the good behavior of his bride and gives him the right to punish her if she commits a crime.”

“Are you saying you want to punish me?” Mei-Li gave him an incredulous look. “I don’t think so.” She started to get off his lap but Six pulled her back, his grip on her arm firm and unbreakable.

“I think that I must,” he said, giving her a stern look. “If I do not, you will simply keep punishing yourself. And that is not good for your emotional health.”

“What do you know about emotional health?” Mei-Li demanded. “You can’t lecture me about that. And you certainly can’t punish me.”

“Under the Law of Conduct, I am permitted to do so,” Six insisted.

“I don’t think so.” She tried to get up again but he pulled her back down. But this time instead of sitting her on his lap, he turned her over his knee.

“Hey!” Mei-Li protested as he raised the hem of her dress. She was wearing the red wrap dress she’d made for herself on Zeaga Four and a pair of lacy black underwear underneath. Ever since she’d seduced Six into bonding with her, he’d had a liking for lacy under-things so she tried to always have on something sexy under her clothes. But never in her wildest dreams had she imagined him seeing her panties like this. “Stop it!” she protested. “What are you doing?”

“Punishing you.” Gripping the top of her panties, Six pulled them down, baring her ass completely.

Mei-Li struggled in his lap, trying to get free but it was useless, he had one heavy forearm—his metal enhanced one—across her back and waist holding her down. Try as she might, there was no way she could fight against his superior weight and strength.

“I mean it, Six—don’t do this,” she said through gritted teeth. “Even as child I never got spanked—my parents thought it was barbaric and I agree! Don’t you dare touch me—I’ll never forgive you if you do!”

“And you will never forgive yourself if I do not,” he growled. “Get ready, Lasai—this will hurt.”

His broad palm fell with a loud smack, causing her bare bottom to quiver as a bright red pain raced through her nerve endings.

“Ouch!” Mei-Li cried, jumping in his lap. She almost wiggled free but then Six tightened his grip on her and spanked her again.

“This…is…your…punishment,” he said, speaking each word deliberately between the blows of his palm connecting with her stinging ass. “It…pays…for…everything…you…think…you’ve…done wrong.”

“Ow! Ow, ow, ow!” Mei-Li gasped. Though she didn’t want to cry, the sharp, stinging blows brought tears to her eyes anyway. “Stop!” she begged. “Six, please!”

He paused for a moment. “Do you feel the pain, Lasai? Do you understand what you’ve done to earn it?”

“I…I do,” she gasped through her tears. “I should’ve listened to the…to the Goddess. I should have been able…able to make my father see. But I can’t…I can’t…”

“You can’t change it now,” Six said simply. “What’s done is done. Must I whip you some more or have you been punished enough?”

Her bottom still stinging, Mei-Li choked on a sob.

“I…I don’t know. I didn’t meant to be bad, Six. I just…I couldn’t…”

“You’ve been punished enough, I think,” he rumbled. His grip on her loosened but Mei-Li didn’t have the strength to slide out of his grasp. She just lay there across his lap sobbing as all the pain and guilt of the past several days overwhelmed her and rushed through her.

“I’ve been bad…so bad,” she sobbed miserably. “But I’m sorry…so, so sorry.”

Then she felt something soft and warm against her stinging buttocks that made her pause in mid-sob.

“Six?” she whispered, sniffing as she felt it again.

“Hold still, Lasai,” he murmured, kissing her once more. “I must sooth the pain I have given you.”

“You…you don’t have to do that,” she said as he continued kissing her, his mouth moving lower and lower down the curve of her bare ass.

“I want to.” His deep voice was little more than a growl. “Now that your punishment is over, I want to make you feel better—want to make you feel good. Spread your legs for me, Mei-Li and let me make you feel good.”

“Oh, I…” She gave a little gasp as he raised her hips and pulled her panties down even further. Soon the twisted wisp of black lace was down around one of her ankles and Six was pressing his face between her legs, kissing her from behind.

“Hold still,” he growled when she tried to close her legs. “Open wide and let me sooth your ache, Lasai. Or do I have to punish you again?”

“No,” Mei-Li whispered, biting her lip. “No I…I guess I’ve been punished enough.”

“Good. Because now I wish to pleasure you.”

He pressed his face between her thighs, his long tongue seeking her core. Mei-Li gasped and pressed her pelvis back to meet him instinctively when he found her pussy, already hot and wet and ready for his invasion.

Big, warm hands cupped her still-stinging ass cheeks and broad thumbs spread her outer pussy lips, revealing her sensitive inner cunt to his seeking tongue. Mei-Li gasped and grabbed the arm of the couch as his lips met her slippery inner petals and he began lapping eagerly at her exposed pussy.

“Six!” she cried softly when the tip of his tongue found her throbbing clit and began to circle it mercilessly. Hazily she thought that it was incredible that she could go from such extremes of emotion so quickly. From anger and incredulity that he would dare to spank her, to pain and tearful guilt as he did the deed, to overheated lust as he “soothed her ache” after finishing the punishment. It seemed crazy and impossible and yet here she was, panting and pressing back against him as his tongue traced magical patterns in her most sensitive flesh. God, he was good at this!

Just as she felt herself right on the edge of coming, he flipped her over and sat her on his lap, straddling his hips. His mouth was shiny with her juices and his steel gray eyes were blazing with desire.

“What…?” Mei-Li literally wasn’t sure which end was up anymore. She only knew she was aching with unfulfilled need and he had stopped right before she was about to come.

“Apologies,” he rasped, his deep voice rough. “I know you weren’t finished but I wanted to feel you coming around my shaft.” As he spoke, he pressed up, rubbing the hard ridge of his cock, still encased in his tight leather trousers, against her open pussy.

“God, Six,!” Mei-Li moaned.

“I will take that for a yes,” he growled.

Quickly he untied her dress and spread it open, revealing the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Since her breasts were quite small, she often went without, a fact that seemed to excite Six.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, pulling her down so that he could suck one small, sensitive nipple into his mouth.

Mei-Li moaned as sparks of pleasure ran through her, jumping straight from her tight peaks to the hot, aching spot between her thighs. Six sucked her other nipple too, taking as much of her breast into his warm, wet mouth as he could and then she felt something hard and long brushing her thighs.

Looking down she saw that he had freed his thick shaft and it was rising between them like club of flesh. Eagerly, she took it in her hand, loving the heated steel and velvet texture. Soon it was Six’s turn to moan as she stroked him up and down, using a leisurely pace to tease him into submission as he had teased her with his tongue.

“Mmm,” he growled as she slid her hand over his hot flesh. “I cannot wait to be inside you. Can’t wait to feel your sweet, wet pussy gripping my shaft.”

“I can’t wait either,” Mei-Li panted. She fit the broad, plum-shaped head of his cock to her entrance and started to push down, allowing him to fill her.

At once the familiar stretching sensation began—the feeling that he was almost too big for her. But it felt so good to have him in her, she didn’t want to stop. Six was plainly eager too but he kept his big hands on her hips, guiding her carefully, not wanting to hurt her. At last she felt him bottom out inside her and knew that the broad head of his cock was kissing the mouth of her womb.

“Mmm,” she moaned as she settled more firmly into his lap. “God, you feel so good inside me…”

“And you feel incredible wrapped around my shaft,” Six growled. “But I need to know something, Mei-Li…” His big hands circled her hips, gripping her firmly and keeping her from moving any more.

“Wh-what?” she asked breathlessly, looking into his eyes. He looked so serious—so almost stern. It was a little frightening.

“I have to know if you need me to punish you any more.” Drawing out slowly, he gave a hard, deep, deliberate thrust that sent a bolt of painful pleasure through her, making her gasp.

“Six?” she moaned, looking at him uncertainly.

“Do you need more pain?” he asked, doing it again. “I do not wish to hurt you but I will…up to a point. If that is what you need to feel forgiven, to feel that you have paid for your crimes, then I will give it to you.” He drew back and thrust in hard a third time, making her moan and jump in his arms.

“No,” she somehow managed to whisper, gripping his shoulders. “No, I don’t need more punishment. I just need you inside me, loving me. Making love to me and letting me know you care.”

“Good.” A look of relief crossed his strong features and his grip on her hips eased up considerably. “Good, Lasai. I don’t wish to hurt you. I only want to love you now—if you think you can let go and start loving yourself again.”

“I…I don’t know,” Mei-Li moaned softly as he began a slow, steady, much gentler rhythm inside her. “I don’t know if I can do that, but I’ll try. God, I swear I’ll try…”

She could feel the pleasure cresting inside her and she knew she was about to come. She wanted to close her eyes as the sensations rushed over her but somehow she couldn’t. Her gaze was locked with Six’s and as the orgasm took her, she couldn’t look away from the pleasure and pain in those steel gray depths, couldn’t break the intensity between them.

“Lasai,” he sent through their mental bond. “Love you so much…need you so much…”

“I need you too,” she sent back. “I’m so close, Six…but I can’t...quite…”

“Maybe I can help.” She felt the warm fingers of his metal-enhanced hand slip up to stroke her swollen folds, tracing the place where they were joined. Then the broad pad of his thumb found her throbbing clit and began to circle it again and again. At the same time a gentle vibration began, buzzing up from the thin silver metal of his enhancement and bathing the sensitive little bundle of nerves in tingling sensation.

Six’s magically vibrating fingers and the slow, deep thrust of his thick shaft inside her was suddenly too much.

“God!” Mei-Li moaned as she felt her inner muscles tighten, spasming around him, begging him to fill her with his seed.

Six responded to her wordless plea by allowing her orgasm to trigger his own. With a low groan, he crushed her to him and she felt the hot, wet rush of him spurting inside her, filling her in a way no human man had ever done.

As always she was filled with wonder even as she was overcome with pleasure. Making love with Six was like nothing she’d ever done before—the few human lovers she’d had couldn’t compare to him in either intensity or pleasure. And of course, the vibrating fingers were amazing.

“Six!” she gasped as he moaned, “Lasai!” at the same time. For an endless moment they strained together, trying to get even closer though it didn’t seem possible. Then, at last the pleasure began to ebb and Mei-Li collapsed against his shoulder panting, her heart pounding in her chest.

When she finally sat up, she was surprised to see tears glimmering in his steel gray eyes.

“Six?” she asked cautiously, wondering if their lovemaking had somehow set off another of the buried memories of his family. “Six, honey, are you okay?”

“I am well.” His deep voice sounded choked. “Are you?”

“Well…sure I am.” He was looking at her so anxiously she felt the need to reassure him. “I feel fine. A little sore but that’s okay.”

“And…will you…do you think you can ever forgive me for what I had to do? I hurt you. I did not want to but I did.”

“What, you mean for spanking me?” Mei-Li frowned. “I should be really mad about that you know—you treated me like a naughty child. Except…”

“Except what?” he asked, still looking at her anxiously.

“Except, well…it kind of made me feel better in a weird way.” Mei-Li shook her head. “I don’t know why that should be, though.”

“Because you’ve taken your punishment.” Six stroked her cheek, still looking at her face uncertainly, as though trying to read her expression. “You need never feel guilty or wrong again because you’ve been punished. Your pain has paid for your misdeeds. They are no longer your guilt to bear.”

“I guess I never thought of it like that…But it actually feels true. I don’t feel guilty anymore.” Mei-Li looked at him wonderingly. “How did you know that would work? Was it something you did on Z4?”

He shook his head. “There was little room for discipline there—offenders of any law were usually purged, not punished.”

“Then how…”

“A memory from my childhood,” he admitted. “Only the spanking part, however.” One corner of his mouth went up. “The other was because I could not resist the way your bare bottom looked as you writhed in my lap. Gods, you’re beautiful, Lasai.”

“So you did what you thought needed to be done. But afterwards you were afraid you’d hurt me too much and I would never forgive you?” Mei-Li raised an eyebrow at him.

He nodded. “Please say it is not so. I didn’t want to punish you, Mei-Li, but you left me little choice. I could see that the guilt would continue to eat away at you if something wasn’t done.”

“Well…just don’t do it again.” She shook a finger at him. “And you’re darn lucky it worked. Although, how or why I don’t know. I just know I feel better.”

“That was all I wanted—for you to feel better.” Six gathered her close to his broad chest, putting his long arms around her and hugging her tight. “I am still so new to the world of emotions that seeing you upset or distraught is very difficult to me. It makes me feel desperate, like I would do anything—anything—to ease your burden.”

Mei-Li had to smile. “Anything, huh? Even spank me?”

“I knew I was taking a risk,” Six said seriously. “But I didn’t know what else to do—what else to try.”

“You could try a little more of this.” He was still semi-hard inside her and Mei-Li raised halfway off him and then let herself slide slowly back down, taking him deep inside again.

“Gods, you’re tight!” Six groaned and she felt his shaft twitch and then begin to thicken inside her.

“Mm-hmm.” Mei-Li grinned and kissed him, nibbling teasingly at his lush lower lip until he growled with pleasure. “Come on, Six—make love to me again. And this time let’s take it slow. Very slow.”

“It sounds like a whole new kind of punishment,” he rumbled. “One that may drive me mad before you are finished with me.”

“That’s the idea.” Mei-Li gave him a naughty smile. “Now come on, honey—let’s go.”

Chapter Ten

“…and that is why we need you to undertake this mission. The Dark Kindred have formed a barricade between the Mother Ship and Earth. Their intention is to take it over, strip it of natural resources, and enslave the inhabitants. Of course, we do not intend to let them do that, but they have superior numbers and very advanced weaponry on their side,” Commander Sylvan said.

At least, Charlie thought it was Commander Sylvan—the deep rumble of male voices was a little muted by the metal door between her and the Kindred Council meeting.

She was very well aware that she shouldn’t be here but she’d felt like she had to come. After all, if the Kindred had something sinister planned for Earth, she needed to find out what it was. Then maybe she could somehow warn someone in authority before it was too late.

That was what she told herself as she slipped out the door and trailed Stavros quietly through the busy medical station and down crowded metal corridors of the Mother Ship, anyway. But the truth was more complicated, though she didn’t want to acknowledge it, even to herself.

It was the way they had parted. She couldn’t stop seeing that look in his eyes—the look that said he was going to his doom. It was that, as much as any secret information she might gain, that had sent her sneaking after him, being careful to keep out of his sight until she saw him turn into what was clearly a special wing of the Mother Ship.

There was a guard posted outside the antechamber but luckily Stavros had thought to bring her purse when he abducted her. Most of its contents were useless—she’d already tried the cell phone with no results—but she still had her wallet and badge. She had marched up to the guard and displayed the badge which was a metal disk in the shape of the Earth with her name and serial number stamped on it.

“Agent Sayers with the EPB,” she’d said briskly, wishing she had a uniform or at least a blazer to wear in order to look more official. “I’m here as a consultant representing Earth’s interests in this meeting. Commander Sylvan is expecting me.”

Her official manner and the badge had worked wonders. The seven foot tall Kindred guard had meekly let her past and she had found herself in the small, bare antechamber, separated from the Council room by only a metal door. Settling in to listen, Charlie had learned some truly horrifying facts about the Dark Kindred and their plans for total domination of the Earth.

“How can we stop them if they have superior numbers and fire power?” Stavros asked. “The inhabitants of Earth can be somewhat stubborn and irritating at times but in working there I have come to love the planet as my own home. I will do anything I can to protect it and the people who live there.”

“That is what we hoped you would say,” Commander Sylvan replied. “We have the beginnings of a plan predicated on a prophesy given to us by the Goddess. Will you hear it?”

“Of course. Please proceed.”

“Very well:

“Cursed to find an early grave

Will be the one the Light to Save

The Pain of others he must feel

The wounds of others he can heal

To stop the evil he must find

The Heart of Love in J’lorgon’s Mind

To bring it to the void and cold

And cast it in, he must be bold.

For…”

There was a lingering pause on the other side of the door. Then Stavros said, “If he what?”

“Unfortunately, we do not know—the prophesy is incomplete although we have people working to find the rest of it.”

“It clearly seems to indicate someone of my situation, though.” Stavros sounded thoughtful. “Cursed to find an early grave and the pain of others he must feel—that clearly indicates a Sin Eater.”

An early grave? What do they mean by that? Charlie frowned but the conversation in the other room was already moving on.

“We thought so too which was why we need you so urgently, Commander Stavros,” one of the other Council members said.

“But you need me to do what?” Stavros sounded perplexed. “What is the Heart of Love and where is J’lorgon’s Mind?”

“I’ll let Commander Lock answer that,” Sylvan said. “He has been researching the matter extensively and in fact, has only just returned from a fact-finding trip.”

Commander Lock? Charlie felt a shock go through her. That’s not the one who…no it can’t be. Then a new voice began and she forced herself to listen.

“J’lorgon’s Mind is a place of healing and wisdom in the Crab Nebula founded by the great Syntharian healer, T’dai al J’Lorgon,” a new voice said. “It is a retreat of sorts—a place where those who are weary in body and soul can find refreshment and renewal.”

“And the Heart of Love?” Stavros asked.

“A priceless artifact at the center of the resort. The reports of what it actually is very greatly. Some say it is a sacred pink synthar-crystal carved with the runes for love and understanding.. Others say it is a rare pygmy Manai tree which blossoms only in the presence of true and unconditional love. Some say it is actually the preserved heart of T’dai al J’Lorgon himself which fills whomever stands near it with love and understanding towards all living beings.”

“So we’re not sure what it is?” Sylvan asked.

“I couldn’t find out for sure. But according to the prophesy, we need it—it’s the only way to defeat the Dark Kindred. And I did find out one thing—the one who claims the Heart of Love is the only one who can use it effectively. All the legends agree on that.”

“Naturally this priceless relic isn’t for sale,” Sylvan said dryly.

“Of course not—it’s closely guarded,” Lock admitted. “Though I dislike duplicity, I am afraid it will have to be taken. But not by force—the wards and security systems around the resort are much too complicated to make that a feasible option. No, it must be taken by subterfuge by someone working on the inside.”

“All right, that sounds simple enough,” Stavros rumbled. “I’ll pose as a weary pilgrim to this resort—this J’lorgon’s Mind. Then once I infiltrate it, I’ll find a way to get past the security and take the Heart of Love.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as that,” Lock said. “You see, J’lorgon’s Mind is a retreat for couples. You’ll need a female to go with you and pose as your mate. The two of you will pretend to be having problems and say that you need healing for your troubled relationship.”

“What?” For the first time Stavros sounded really disconcerted. “But I don’t know of any female I can take with me to help enact this subterfuge!”

“That is a problem.” Sylvan sounded like he was frowning. “Though it sounds simple on the outside, we would have to find a female willing to go into danger. Stealing such a priceless and closely guarded artifact will not be without considerable risks.”

“It would have to be an unmated female,” another councilor said. “One who was already mated to another warrior would never be able to act the part convincingly.”

“Not to mention the fact that she would be covered in her mate’s scent, proclaiming the lie to anyone with a halfway decent sense of smell,” another male voice rumbled.

“You are right,” Lock said. “It must be an unmated female.”

“Well that could be a problem.” Sylvan sighed. “Since the war with Earth started, we have a lack of unmated females. In fact, I don’t think there is a single female who isn’t spoken for on the entire Mother Ship.”

Charlie didn’t give herself time to think about it, she just barged right into the Council room.

“Oh yes there is,” she said. “I’m here and I’ll go.”

* * * * *

“Charlotte?” Stavros looked at her, shocked. “What are you doing here?” he demanded when he could finally get his brain to work.

“Volunteering.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Is that a problem?”

Commander Sylvan frowned at her. “The problem is that you have apparently been listening in on a private and highly confidential meeting.”

“Yes I have.” Charlotte lifted her chin regally and Stav couldn’t help admiring her composure. Here she stood, admitting to what amounted to espionage, yet she was absolutely fearless.

“Isn’t this the female who captured Commander Stavros in the first place?” one of the Councilors asked, frowning at her from his place around the semi-circular table. “Isn’t she an agent of the Anti-Kindred organization committed to forcing all our kind to leave Earth for good?”

“I believe she is,” Commander Sylvan said mildly. “Though in Commander Stavros’s defense, he broke free of captivity and took his captor hostage—that is how she comes to be here on the Mother Ship with us.”

“Why did he bring her up here if she’s anti-Kindred?” a black haired warrior asked.

“I believe there was some…misunderstanding about her medical condition,” Sylvan said delicately. “He brought her for her own safety but there is, of course, no way to return her. Not now at any rate, with the Dark Kindred blockading the Earth. And—”

“Listen,” Charlotte said impatiently, breaking in. “I’ve been standing outside this room for the past hour listening to everything those Dark Kindred—the Enhanced Ones—want to do to my planet. How they want to makes us slaves and take our emotions and strip mine the Earth like some giant coal pit…” She choked slightly but made herself continue. “Well, I’m not going to let that happen. I want to help get rid of them.”

“I don’t think you quite understand what you’re offering,” Commander Lock, who had gone on the fact finding mission said. “J’lorgon’s Mind bills itself as a very serious and exclusive resort. Their security is no laughing matter.”

“Commander Lock, right?” Charlotte snapped.

“Well…yes.” He frowned.

“You’re a Twin Kindred, right? So where’s your brother?” Charlotte demanded.

Lock frowned. “He is…with our mate and our children at the moment. Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” Charlotte was still glaring at him for some reason Stav couldn’t understand.

“Well, as I was saying,” Lock continued uneasily. “You and Commander Stavros would have to be completely convincing. If you weren’t the consequences could be…” He spread his hands. “Well, they could be most severe.”

Charlotte lifted her chin even higher, her big brown eyes blazing.

“I’m not afraid.”

“You’re not a friend of the Kindred either,” one of the Councilors pointed out, glaring at her. “This is out of the question. This female needs to be ejected at once!”

“No, wait!” Stav strode forward and stood by her side. “Let us at least hear what she has to say.” He glanced at her. “I haven’t known Charlotte Sayers long but I have a high regard for her talents and intelligence.”

“As Commander Stavros knows her best, I think we should defer to his judgment,” Commander Sylvan said. “As temporary acting head of the Council, I authorize you to proceed.” He nodded at Charlotte who nodded frostily back.

“Thank you, Commander Sylvan. First of all, some of you have said I’m anti-Kindred—well, I am.” This statement engendered angry murmurs from the Council table but she raised her voice and went on. “And I have good reason to be.” She glared once more at Commander Lock for some reason before continuing. “But then I started hearing you talk about these other guys—the Dark Kindred. Has anyone here ever heard the saying, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend?’”

Lock nodded. “I have heard that, yes.”

“Well that’s the case here,” Charlotte said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not wild about the Kindred being on Earth but at least none of you ever tried to enslave us or take away our emotions or steal our natural resources. If I had to pick, I’d say you guys are most definitely the lesser of the two evils.”

“How very kind of you,” the black haired Councilor said sarcastically. “But isn’t that what the humans call, ‘damning us with faint praise?’”

“Call it what you want,” Charlotte said stubbornly. “The fact is, I want to work with you to get these other guys out of Earth’s air space and as far away from my home world as possible.”

“That seems entirely plausible and a very noble goal,” Commander Sylvan said neutrally. “But good intentions aside, we do not know you well enough to ascertain if you are equipped for this kind of dangerous and delicate mission.”

“She is a peace keeping officer on Earth,” Stavros offered. He wasn’t sure why he was arguing to have her join him. It would doubtless only complicate his mission and make his life unbearably awkward. But somehow he kept talking. “Or she was before she joined the EPB. So she does have some experience.”

“Stavros is right,” Charlotte said, giving him a nod. “I spent a considerable amount of time with the Asheville PD both in uniform and as a detective. Also, I’ve been on undercover stings before. Mostly vice and a few drug busts but I know my way around a covert op. I’m not going to freak out halfway through and go all girly and blow my cover—if that’s what you’re worried about.” She raised an eyebrow at Sylvan who was regarding her with new respect.

“Your history is most impressive, Agent Sayers,” he said, nodding. “But I have to stress again how dangerous this mission is. It may sound simple, posing as a couple, but if you’re caught, especially while you’re trying to steal the Heart of Love…”

“You could be killed,” Lock finished for him. “J’lorgon’s Mind is more than just a couples retreat, it is a religious establishment. The councilors there are also priests and priestesses—any dishonesty is taken as blasphemy and punished most harshly.”

Stavros saw Charlotte’s slim throat move as she swallowed nervously but she kept her chin high and her gaze steady.

“So it’s dangerous—I understand that. But what are my options if I don’t go help Stavros get this thing you need—this weapon to defeat the Dark Kindred? What should I do, wait around to have my feelings sucked out and be sent off as a slave to some weird alien planet I’ve never seen before?” She shook her head decisively. “Huh-uh—I don’t think so. I’m a proactive kind of girl, Commander Sylvan. I want to be doing something to help my planet survive. Not just sitting on the sidelines, giving a half-assed cheer while somebody else runs to the ball to the goalpost and the band plays the fight song.”

“Um…” Commander Sylvan cocked his head to one side. “Your metaphor is lost on me but I think I understand your commitment, Agent Sayers. If this Council is in agreement and Commander Stavros is willing, I would agree to your involvement in this mission.” He turned to the Council who were still seated around the semi-circular table. “All in favor knock once.”

Almost every single Councilor knocked their knuckles once against the stone-wood table.

“Opposed, knock twice,” Sylvan said.

There were a few double knocks but no more than two.

“Well…” Sylvan looked at Stavros. “A majority of the Council is in favor. Commander Stavros, how do you feel about it? I know you haven’t known Agent Sayers for very long and your first meeting wasn’t under the best of circumstances—do you really believe you can work with her on such a difficult and dangerous mission?”

“I do.” Stavros gave his ascent without hesitation. Though it was going to make his life difficult, he had no reservations about the abilities of the female beside him. He knew that Charlie had what it took to pull this off. She might be stubborn and obstinate at times but she was also extremely courageous. She would be a good person to have at his back.

And in your bed…especially if you’re pretending to be a troubled romantic couple, whispered a little voice in his head. Stavros pushed it sternly to one side. This was purely business—he needed a partner to make this mission work and Charlotte had volunteered. End of story.

Except that wasn’t the end of it. Even as he watched her nod and accept handshakes and thanks from the Council members who approved of her going with him, Stav couldn’t help remembering the taste of her lips and the feel of her in his arms. No matter how many times he told himself that they would simply be working together in a professional capacity, he couldn’t help wondering exactly what they would have to do in order to carry off their cover story…and how interesting it might get posing with Charlie as his bride.

Chapter Eleven

“I can’t believe you volunteered like that! You’re so brave.”

Becca stared at her in admiration and Charlie tried not to blush. It was the day after the Council meeting and they were sitting around Kat’s apartment or suite, as the living areas were called on the Mother Ship, having a good luck going away party. Kat had insisted on throwing the get together since she and Stavros were to start on their mission almost immediately and she wanted Charlie to have a proper send off.

My send off to a mission where I have to pretend Stavros and I are a couple. Ha—like that would ever happen for real.

The thought brought back the disturbing dream she’d had the night before. In it, she and the big Kindred were taking some kind of exercise class together but for some reason, they had to be naked to do it. The instructor had been a little green man—the kind of stereotypical alien you always saw in low budget science fiction movies—only he had long antennae on top of his bald head and he talked like Yoda. In the dream, he had been instructing them on how to remove each other’s clothing…

“Reveal your partner’s body little by little, you must,” he had intoned in a high, squeaky voice that reminded Charlie of a clarinet that needed a new reed. “Begin with the top, you will.”

In the dream, Charlie had eagerly taken off the big Kindred’s uniform shirt, revealing his muscular bare chest. But she had been nervous and reluctant to let him do the same to her.

“It’s all right,” Stavros had murmured, cupping her cheek. “You know I’ll be gentle with you, Charlotte.”

“I know,” she whispered and allowed him to unbutton her blouse. For some reason in the dream she didn’t have a bra on and when he pulled her blouse apart, her bare breasts came into view. Charlie shrank away, trying to hide herself but the instructor had announced that they must appreciate each other’s bodies and not hide so she was forced to drop her arms.

At first she and Stavros just looked at each other but then the instructor came over and said they must “anoint each other with healing oils.” Charlie had opened her mouth to ask where she was supposed get these healing oils when the alien instructor told her to hold out her hands. When she did, he squirted a copious amount of slippery pink oil into her palms from one of the antae on his head. He gave some to Stavros as well and then told them to begin.

As before, the big Kindred let her go first. Charlie spent a long, leisurely time oiling up his broad chest and shoulders as well as tracing his six-pack abs. But when she tried to do his back, he shook his head.

“No, Charlotte—now it’s my turn.”

He came around behind her and began to stroke up and down her arms and sides, his big, warm hands leaving trails of the slippery oil as he worked.

“Is this all right?” he murmured in her ear. “Do you like it when I do this—when I touch you this way?”

Blushing and shaking with shame and desire, Charlie had admitted that she did like it very much.

“Good,” he growled, soft and hot in her ear. “And what about this?”

His big palms cupped her breasts, stroking up, spreading the slick oil over her sensitive mounds and the tight peaks of her nipples.

Charlie moaned and then gasped as he pinched her sensitive tips between thumb and forefinger and tugged gently. Sparks of pleasure/pain ran down to the spot between her legs and her pussy was suddenly liquid with heat.

“Do you like that?” he murmured, still twisting and tugging. “You like it when I tease your hot little nipples? Does it make your pussy wet?”

Charlie had been forced to admit that it did.

“Good,” he said again. “Because now I’m going to taste your nipples and make you even wetter.”

She had tried to protest but the alien instructor had stepped in and assured her that it was perfectly normal for her partner to “massage” her breasts with his mouth. Feeling helpless, she had allowed Stavros to bend her over his arm, the better to reach her nipples. He had sucked first one and then the other into his mouth, teasing them with his tongue and nipping gently to make her moan and writhe.

And all the time Charlie could feel his fangs bracketing her tender peaks. Oh my God, he’s going to bite me—he’s going to bite me! her dreaming self thought but though there was a little fear in the thought, there was actually much more anticipation. The idea of opening herself for his body and fangs made her incredibly hot to the point where she had moaned in protest and disappointment when he finally released her without so much as a single nip.

Then it was time to remove the bottom part of their clothing. Stavros went first and she blushed to see how big he was—long and thick and throbbing, his cock stood up against his flat belly, almost as if it was beckoning to her.

“Now it’s my turn to make you naked,” he growled in her ear.

Charlie would have been nervous but somehow she knew that this would be all right because she had on panties that wouldn’t come off so he could only remove her outer slacks. When he did, her panties stayed on as she had expected. But in the irritating way of dreams, they began act strangely. They shrank smaller and smaller until they were cutting into her hips and giving her pain.

“Ouch!” her dreaming self exclaimed. “I don’t understand this—the package didn’t say these were shrinking panties when I bought them.”

“Don’t worry,” dream Stavros murmured. “I can make it stop.”

He had dropped to his knees in front of her and ripped the panties off with his fangs. Then he looked up at her.

“Let’s see how hot and wet your pussy is.” His deep voice was thick with lust. Before she could protest two long, thick fingers slipped inside her and thrust hard and deep, making her moan…making her melt.

“Oh God!” Charlie gasped as he continued to fingerfuck her. “Oh please, Stavros!”

“Does it feel good? When I touch you this way? When I put my fingers deep inside your hot pussy?” the dream Stavros demanded, his eyes burning.

“Yes,” she moaned in the dream. “Oh God, yes.”

“Then you’ll like my tongue there even better.”

Even in her sleep, Charlie had suddenly felt nervous. She had never felt very comfortable with this act and even in a dream that uncertainty carried over.

“I don’t know…” she began.

But the instructor was telling her she must open to her partner—it was an important part of the class. And anyway, Charlie couldn’t have stopped the big Kindred even if she had wanted to— he was already nuzzling between her thighs, his breath hot against her bare pussy.

Even in the dream, Charlie knew she ought to push him away. Instead, she found herself burying her hands in his hair and pulling him forward. Stavros lifted her leg over his broad shoulder and buried his face between her legs, kissing and licking and sucking her tender pussy until Charlie moaned and pressed against him, trying to give him greater access to her inner cunt.

Oh God, I shouldn’t…shouldn’t let him do this, she thought in the dream. And then, just as she was about to come, he pulled back and bared his fangs.

“Oh, please…” dream Charlie moaned. “Please…please do it. Please bite me.”

With a hungry, lustful growl he struck, his long, sharp fangs piercing her flesh. Her back arched and as the orgasm ripped through her, she knew she never wanted this to end…

Charlie shook herself, trying to get rid of the disturbing images. She had always had very realistic dreams, including some horrible nightmares as a kid that made her wake up screaming. But this dream…it had been almost like she was actually there experiencing it in real life. It had been so real, in fact, that when she first woke, she had reached down between her thighs, searching for Stavros. He wasn’t there, of course, and when she woke up more completely, she was ashamed to admit how disappointed she was to find it was all a dream. Which was ridiculous, of course. There was no way she wanted to do such things with him in real life, she told herself uneasily.

After the strange nighttime encounter with her dream partner, Charlie had spent the rest of the night soul searching. Along with seeing a familiar face from her past in the Council room, the dream had been a wake-up call and she’d had to admit that she had allowed herself to get entirely too comfortable with Stavros. No matter that they were on the same side, at least for now, he was still a Kindred and Kindred were the enemy. She couldn’t afford to forget that. She needed to be a whole hell of a lot more professional and a lot less lovey-dovey with her new partner if she was going to get through this without compromising herself any further.

“That was really brave,” Mei-Li said. “To volunteer like that.”

Charlie smiled at her. Despite her feeling about the Kindred themselves, she liked their wives. Besides Kat and Becca and Mei-Li there were a pair of sisters called Sophia and Olivia and their cousin Lauren who all seemed genuine and sweet. Not only were they nice, Lauren had also brought a massive tray of cupcakes along with her. Charlie was nibbling a delicious strawberry one, certain it would go straight to her hips and ass. But it tasted so good, she just couldn’t put it down.

“It’s not brave to prefer doing something to sitting around waiting to have your planet ruined and your emotions stripped away,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Still, we really appreciate it, doll,” Kat said, smiling at her as she rocked little Shad. Most of the other babies were napping in one of the bedrooms but as Kat explained, the silver-eyed baby almost never slept. “We heard there was no one else who could go and you stepped up,” she said.

“She didn’t just step up—she barged into the Council room and told them she was going,” the girl named Sophia said. She smiled at Charlie. “Commander Sylvan is my husband and he told me all about it.”

“There you go.” Her sister, Liv, nodded. “That takes courage in my book.”

“Yeah, well…” Charlie sighed. “It’s also the kind of thing that got me a reputation as a ‘ball-busting bitch’ back home in Asheville—at least with the guys down at the PD. But sometimes it’s the only way to get what you want.”

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about being called anything like that—at least not around the Kindred,” Sophia said thoughtfully. “I know Sylvan really admired your bravery. He said it took a lot of nerve to do what you did.”

Charlie raised one eyebrow incredulously.

“You’re telling me there’s a whole race of beings who are mostly male and they’re not the least little bit chauvinistic?”

“Not much,” Becca said. “They might see you as physically weak because compared to them, you are. I mean, they’re all so big and muscular, you know? But you don’t have to worry about them assuming that you’re mentally incompetent just because you have girly parts.”

“Amen to that,” Kat said dryly. “A brain and a vagina are not mutually exclusive.”

“And the Kindred know that,” Liv said.

“It helps that they worship a goddess—the Mother of All Life,” Sophia remarked, selecting a salted caramel cupcake. “Females are sacred to them—they see us as people to be revered and protected.”

“And respected,” Liv said firmly.

“Hmm.” Charlie took another nibble of her cupcake. She was beginning to get a whole new picture of the Kindred and it was in direct contrast with everything she’d believed for years. “You know, Stavros did say something like that to me when I was cuffing him up. About how females were sacred to them.”

“Cuffing him, huh? Kinky.” Kat grinned at her.

Charlie felt her cheeks getting hot again.

“It wasn’t like that. I was apprehending him—he was my prisoner.”

“And then he got loose and you were his prisoner, right?” Lauren raised an eyebrow at her. “And Kat said something about Stavros dragging you up here because you were on your period?”

“He’s a Sin Eater—he feels everyone’s pain,” Becca explained. “So when he felt Charlotte’s cramps, he thought she was dying.”

“You can call me Charlie—everybody does,” Charlie said. “And I do get really bad cramps from time to time but if Stavros is used to feeling everyone’s pain, wouldn’t you think he would have realized what was going on with me?”

“Maybe not,” Kat said thoughtfully. “There are hardly any female Kindred and they almost never get around the males—they all go into the priesthood or priestesshood or whatever you call it. You can see a few in the Sacred Grove at the center of the Mother Ship but mostly they keep to themselves.” She sighed. “That reminds me of the last time we sent someone off on an undercover mission.”

“What?” Charlie frowned. “Is this something you guys do all the time?”

“Oh no, not at all,” Sophie said, laughing. “Kat’s just talking about our friend Lissa—she was a priestess, you know. Or she started as one. Now she’s married to Saber and living with him on his planet. But the two of them had to go undercover to Yonnie Six.”

“And let me tell you,” Kat said, “You do not want to go there.”

“It’s a completely female dominated planet and all the males there are personal sex slaves,” Liv explained. “Poor Lissa—who was about as shy and sweet as any wallflower you’d ever want to meet—had to pretend to be this horrible tyrant bitch-mistress and Saber, her guy, had to go as her slave.”

“Wow,” Charlie said doubtfully. “How did they pull that off?”

“They didn’t. Their cover got blown in the end and it nearly ruined their relationship,” Kat said honestly. “Which is probably why it’s a good thing you and Stavros don’t have a relationship to ruin…or do you?” She raised an eyebrow at Charlie.

“Of course not!” she denied hastily. “I just volunteered to help save Earth. I would have done the same no matter who was going as my partner.”

“Of course you would.” Mei-Li smiled at her and bit into a dark chocolate cupcake.

“Anyway, just be glad you’re only going to a marriage retreat kind of thing and not posing as a Mistress,” Kat remarked. “Just think, all you have to do is pretend you’re an unhappy couple. Since you started out taking each other prisoner, it should be easy as pie.”

“My sister went to a thing like that with her husband down on Earth,” Becca said thoughtfully. “She said it really amounted to a lot of hand holding and shoulder rubs and looking into each other’s eyes. Saying what you liked about the other person…that kind of thing.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound too bad,” Charlie said cautiously. She thought she could manage to hold Stavros’s hand and pretend to be a neglected wife easily enough. She’d just channel her own mom who had always complained her daddy was married to his work at the PD and never made time for her.

“All that aside, it really is a good thing you don’t have a relationship with Stavros,” Becca said quietly, breaking into her thoughts.

“Why?” Charlie asked, frowning as she finished her cupcake and licked her fingers. She wanted another but she made herself stop. With all that rich, butter cream frosting they were probably about a thousand calories apiece.

The other girl shrugged her slim shoulders.

“He’s a Sin Eater and from what I understand, well…it’s better not to get into a relationship with them. That’s all.”

Charlie frowned, feeling like Becca knew more than she was telling. But before she could grill the other girl for information, there was a knock at the front door of the suite.

“Come in,” Kat called and the door slid silently open to reveal Stavros standing there dressed in black leather trousers and a plain black t-shirt.

“Greetings,” he said, nodding at all of them as he stepped inside. “I am here for Charlotte.” He looked at her. “Our ship is prepared and all is in readiness.”

“Oh, is it time already?” Charlie hopped up, brushing crumbs from her lap.

He nodded. “Commander Lock has secured our passes to J’lorgon’s Mind and enrolled us in various classes close to the center of the resort. We have only to go there and present ourselves as an unhappy couple in need of counseling.”

“What about clothes, though?” Charlie looked down at herself. She was still wearing her black yoga pants but Becca had loaned her a nice, long sleeved green blouse that made her feel a little more professional than the pink t-shirt she’d been wearing when Stavros brought her aboard. Still, she doubted her outfit was appropriate attire for a high-class, expensive luxury resort that catered to the rich and disaffected couples of the galaxy.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, doll,” Kat said easily. “Apparently clothes are included.”

“What kind of clothes, though?” Charlie couldn’t help thinking of the one vice sting she’d been involved in when she was still a new officer with the Asheville PD. She’d had to go undercover as a prostitute wearing skin-tight, lime-green hot pants and a neon-pink halter top. Her too-large ass and more than ample hips had been on display in the ridiculous outfit, not to mention a lot more cleavage than she normally liked to show. She had done it because the job required it but since she was used to keeping her assets mostly covered, it had been extremely uncomfortable.

Kat frowned. “I believe you’re going to be wearing ‘the robes of the novice’ at least to start with.”

“Robes of the what?” Charlie asked, frowning.

“The novice—like a religious novice. See, it’s kind of like a monastery and you two are going to be pilgrims seeking spiritual guidance for your failing relationship. So you get to wear very humble and simple clothes—at least to start with.”

Charlie felt a rush of relief. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“It’ll be fine, doll,” Kat assured her. “Now come give me a hug for luck and go save the world.”

* * * * *

Charlotte hugged the red-haired Kat, being careful of silver-eyed baby she held. She then embraced all the other females in turn as Stavros waited silently by the door. Kat offered him a cupcake but he declined.

“No thank you, I have no taste for sweets.”

“Suit yourself, honey.” She smiled in a friendly way and pressed Charlotte to take one of the small confections with her. Charlotte, however had declined also.

“Thanks but if I eat another one I’ll never get rid of it. Anything with carbs just goes straight to my hips and butt and stays there, no matter how many spin classes I take.”

“Well I think Lock said there are some exercise classes offered at J’lorgon’s Mind,” Kat said thoughtfully. “But I doubt you’ll find a spin class. I guess you’d better pass on the cupcake.”

Charlotte laughed, a soft, feminine sound that Stav found immensely appealing.

“You’re right. Or they won’t be able to find a novice robe to fit me once I get there.”

At last she said her final goodbyes and walked out the door with Stavros. He was glad to have her to himself. Though he revered females as all Kindred did, a large gathering of them made him somewhat nervous. Besides, he liked having time alone with Charlotte. But he felt he had to say something to her.

“You didn’t need to turn down that second confection, you know,” he remarked as they strolled along the corridor to the docking bay. “Your full hips and behind are perfect for your body type.”

“Hey,” she snapped, looking irritated. “We said at the start of this we wouldn’t talk about each others’ bodies. So my hips and ass are off the table as far as you’re concerned.”

Stavros was a bit taken aback, though he supposed he shouldn’t be. For some reason she seemed to be very sensitive where these particular areas of her body were concerned. He had no idea why—they were deliciously ripe, making him wonder what those full hips and luscious ass would feel like filling his hands. But he knew better to speak that particular thought aloud.

“Forgive me,” he said neutrally. “If I overstepped the boundaries between us, I apologize. I just wanted to give you a male’s perspective and let you know I am certain you will look lovely in whatever clothing you are required to wear.”

Charlie shot him another irritated glance. “How I look shouldn’t be your concern—I’m your partner in this mission and that’s all. I’ll expect you to treat me the same way you would another man.”

Stavros nodded. Of course I will give you the respect I would any colleague, male or female.”

“Thank you. That’s all I ask.” Charlie crossed her arms over her chest.

“But…” Stavros raised one finger. “Please remember that we are going to be posing as a couple. So I will have to treat you as such.”

“An estranged couple,” she emphasized. “A couple on the brink of divorce—that’s how we’re going to play this.”

“Divorce?” Stav frowned. “Is that where a human male and female agree to dissolve their partnership and leave each other forever?”

“Exactly.” She nodded decisively. “Why—don’t Kindred have divorce?”

“We do not,” Stav said. “Once a male forms a soul-bond with a female, they are together forever. It is a lifelong commitment.”

“Ugh…” Charlotte shivered as though he had said something repugnant.

“What?” He looked at her curiously. “Such an idea bothers you?”

“Frankly, yes. I’ve seen too many unhappy marriages to believe in happily ever after, thank you very much. Some of the domestic calls we used to go out on when I was in uniform—people shouting and screaming and waking the neighbors, beating each other up over the littlest things. Once we had to go out when some lady had whacked her DH over the head with a cast iron skillet because he ate the last Slim Jim.” She shook her head. “Just a mess.”

Stav looked at her, fascinated.

“She hit who over the head with what because he ate what?”

“Her dear hubby—DH for short.”

“Oh, her mate.”

“Yup.” She nodded. “And a skillet is a cooking utensil like a frying pan. A Slim Jim is a junk food type meat snack. They’re not very good but some people love them. This lady did, anyway.” She frowned up at him. “Hey, weren’t you stationed on Earth? Why don’t you know some of this stuff?”

Stav shrugged. “We were instructed to stay mostly in the HKR building. Kindred almost never mingle with a native species—we only go out to claim our brides.” He sighed. “Maybe if we had gone out to mingle your people would know us better and there wouldn’t be so many misconceptions about the Kindred and what we do.”

“What you do is make girls come up to the Mother Ship and do all kinds of sexual things whether they want to go or not,” she retorted, putting a hand on her ample hip.

“Have you thought about the fact that we might be required to do something of a sexual nature while we are pretending to be a couple in need of help at J’lorgon’s Mind?” he countered.

He had the pleasure of seeing her cheeks turn rosy pink but she shook her head firmly.

“I told you, we’re playing a couple on the brink of divorce. That means no canoodling.”

“No what?” Stav shook his head.

“No fooling around. This may be an undercover operation but there are limits. I mean, I had to dress up as a prostitute once for a vice sting but—”

“You dressed up as a female who sells her body for credits?” Stav raised an eyebrow at her, his imagination going into overdrive. “What exactly did you wear?”

Her cheeks got pink again.

“Never you mind. The point is just because I looked the part doesn’t mean I acted it. In fact, I think we need to set some boundaries right here and now.”

“All right.” Stavros was beginning to be a bit irritated but he held on to his temper. “You’ve already kissed me, sat in my lap and put your hand down my trousers—what further boundaries do you wish to set that you are not willing to cross?”

She rounded on him suddenly, hands on her hips, eyes blazing.

“I was under the influence of drugs when I did all that. Well except for putting my hand in your britches but I couldn’t help that because I didn’t want a mess on my granny’s quilt.”

“True.” He nodded. “But you cannot deny that you enjoyed the healing kiss that we shared and you were completely lucid then.”

“I most certainly did not,” she protested, a bit too quickly.

Stavros stopped in the hallway just outside the entrance to the vast docking bay.

“I scented your heat, Charlie,” he said softly, searching her eyes with his own. “Kindred have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell. You cannot lie to me about what you were feeling when I healed you.”

“You scented my what? Never mind,” she said quickly before he could explain. “Look, whether I enjoyed it when you, uh, healed me is not the point.”

“And what is you point?” Stav demanded.

“To save my planet! And I want it understood right here and now that is the only reason I volunteered to come with you on this mission. Not because I think you’re cute or because you have an amazing ass—”

“I do?” Stavros looked over his shoulder to examine the area in question. “What’s amazing about it?”

“Look, I’m trying to say I’m here in a professional capacity only,” she said, clearly exasperated. “So listen up, buddy—here are the limits: no kissing, no touching—at least not intimate touching—you know what I’m talking about, and no sex. Oh, and no more biting.” She eyed his fangs warily. “I’m your partner, not your personal pin cushion. Got it?”

“You seem to have a lot of boundaries for someone who wants so badly to save their planet,” Stavros said coldly. Though he tried not to let it, her personal rejection of him hurt. Why did she have to be so angry and mistrustful of him?

“Look, if it comes down to it, I’ll do what I have to do,” she said evenly. “But I really doubt that’s going to be the case. We’re probably just going to be sitting around talking about our feelings all day. That I can handle.”

“Can you?” Stav growled. “It might be difficult as it would require you to admit that you have feelings in the first place.”

“Hey, just because I don’t want to do that horizontal hokey-pokey with you is no reason to get nasty,” she snapped.

“I refuse to argue with you anymore,” he growled, at the end of his patience. “If you do not wish to be touched then fine, I will not touch you. As for biting, please don’t concern yourself about that. Blood Kindred bite only to heal their mates or during bonding sex—neither of which I intend to do with you. Now come,” He jerked his head in the direction of their ship. “The control room has already folded space for us to the crab nebula. It is a massive waste of energy to keep them waiting.”

Charlotte looked as though she wanted to say something but in the end, she kept her mouth shut and followed him silently through the cavernous, echoing docking bay to the waiting shuttle. They were both fuming silently as they climbed into the cockpit and Stav started it up.

It doesn’t matter, he told himself as he manipulated the controls and pulled back on the steering yoke. It’s not as if you could have any kind of lasting relationship with her. You’re Cursed, remember? She’s right—you’re just going to work together, nothing else.

Still, she could be a little less abrasive about it. He wondered what had happened to make her so distrustful and wary. The way she’d been staring at Commander Lock—could that have anything to do with it? She’d seemed to know him in some way—but how? Stav cut off the line of thought. Best put it out of your mind—you’re never going to find out. Just as you’re never going to have anything but a professional relationship with this female.

He cast a glance at Charlotte but she was sitting very straight and still, wrapped in a layer of silence so deep it was deafening. Her eyes were directed away from him and her pink lips had become a thin, white line. The tension in every line and curve of her luscious body told him she was still angry and probably would be for some time.

Stav gave a silent sigh. As the shuttle lifted up and out of the invisible atmosphere bubble that protected the Mother Ship and into the blackness of space, he reflected that this looked to be a long and irritating mission.

Chapter Twelve

The demon inside Two buzzed like an angry insect trapped in a bottle.

“Why do you not shoot them down? Look—they are entering the fold! Do not let them escape!”

“Patience my friend.” Two smiled, baring his metal teeth as he watched the small shuttle fly free of the Kindred Mother Ship and slip into the vast red gash which had opened in space.

“You keep calling for patience but I am tried of waiting,” Ur snarled angrily from within him. “I want to see the Kindred of the Mother Ship suffer and burn! But instead of assaulting them or their pet planet, you’re allowing them to fold space and go in whatever direction they want while you just sit here and watch.”

“I’m not just watching my friend—I am waiting to see what they’re doing. And I am not just ‘letting them go’—there is a tracking device in place on that shuttle. The moment it arrives at its destination, we will have a much better idea of what they have planned.”

“Why do you care about their plans? Burn them! Burn them all and Earth too!”

Two shook his head and made a tsking sound.

“Now, now, you only feel that way because you’re all emotion and no reason. I suppose that is what comes of being an entity composed entirely of spirit.”

Two glanced again at the viewscreen where the rift in space was now closing. He knew to an outside observer it must appear that he was having a rather animated conversation with himself in two strangely distinct voices. The demon Ur, whom he had allowed to inhabit him, had a deep, distorted tone which sounded strange coming out of his own mouth but Two was used to it by now.

He was also growing used to the demon. He’d had a few reservations at first and it was true that Ur’s rantings could be tiresome at times but he was mostly harmless. It had soon become clear that while the demon could use his vocal chords, he was helpless to control Two’s physical body. This was most satisfactory as far as Two was concerned—he had the demon with his store of knowledge about the Mother Ship and Earth trapped within where he could access his memories at any time but Ur could not escape or take him over.

Really, it was the perfect arrangement.

“How did you attach a tracking device?” Ur demanded. “Do you have an agent within the Mother Ship?”

“As to that, you shall see in time.” Two smiled, his thin, liver-colored lips curving up in a parody of amusement.

“Tell me!” Ur demanded. “You rifle my mind continuously in the search for information and you refuse me the use of your body—the least you can do is share what you know.”

“I think not.” Two’s grin widened. Really, having the demon captive within was most amusing. He didn’t know how he’d gotten along without Ur for so many years. It occurred to him now that he might have been…what was the word for that strange emotion? Oh yes, that he might have been lonely. Having a constant companion, even an angry one—especially an angry one—was nice.

As Ur continue to rant and rave, he turned away from the viewscreen and studied a small, handheld device.

So—J’lorgon’s Mind, he thought, taking care to put up a mental barrier between himself and the demon so as to keep his inner monologue private. I wonder what the Kindred of the Mother Ship want from there? Well, let’s just see—shall we? Let’s…just…see.

Chapter Thirteen

“We will be approaching the docking bay for the resort proper within the hour. Here—memorize this.”

Stavros thrust a thin, transparent tablet with information scrolling across it at Charlie without looking at her. She supposed his lack of eye contact might be because he was concentrating on the instruments to fly the shuttle but she knew better—he was still good and pissed at her.

Well, fine—she was still pissed at him too. They’d gone though the weird red gash in space and had been flying for the past thirty minutes in complete silence and Charlie wasn’t going to be the one to beg for a truce first.

Maybe you shouldn’t have been so sharp with him, whispered a little voice inside her which she tried to ignore. Maybe it would have been better not lay into him the way you did.

But she’d had to set some boundaries, hadn’t she? She couldn’t just let him walk all over her and assume he could play grab-ass any time he wanted once they went undercover because she was pretending to be the sweet little wifey to his big, burly breadwinner.

Still, you could have been a little nicer, whispered the voice. It sounded like Missy in her head—sounded like something her older sister would have said. Missy had always been the tactful one—the peacemaker between their parents when Momma and Daddy were fighting. Charlie was the bullheaded one—the one who was likely to dive headfirst into an argument and worry about the consequences later.

“Well? Are you going to take it?” Stavros growled, breaking her train of thought.

“Of course. What is it?” Charlie took the slender, clear tablet and began scanning it. It was written in some language other than English—perhaps it was the Kindred dialect? Luckily she could read it just fine because she’d been given a shot of translation bacteria when she was preparing for the mission yesterday.

“It’s our personal information,” Stavros said shortly. “The information we’re going to be giving to anyone who asks at the resort, anyway.”

“It has my real name here,” Charlie protested. “And my birth date. Freaking everything but my social security number!”

“Commander Lock told me he tried to keep names and dates as close to the truth as possible in order to avoid confusion.” Stavros was still staring straight ahead as he spoke. “That way if anyone suspects us, our stories will always align.”

“It says here we’ve only been married—er, joined— a few months,” Charlie said, still scanning.

He nodded. “It was an arranged marriage. My father was a wealthy Havoc—a magistrate from Xander Prime. The Havoc are an offshoot of the Kindred from a distant galaxy so that won’t arouse suspicion. Anyway, according to our story he chose you for your bloodlines. You came from a proud but impoverished family and you didn’t want to join with me but your father forced you to in order to get the bride price. Now we’re trying to find some kind of harmony in a joining which neither of us planned or wanted in the first place.”

“Wow, Commander Lock really was thorough,” Charlie murmured, scrolling through the document which seemed to contain a lot of backstory. “Look at all this—he should be a freaking romance author! I’m not sure I can memorize all of it in an hour.”

“You only need to know the basics,” Stavros rumbled. “It is forbidden to speak of your past to the other pilgrims at the resort. We are supposed to be concentrating on the future.”

“Then why bother with all these details?”

“This is the form that must be sent in to the priests and priestesses who council the pilgrims. That way they will know what to expect when advising and guiding us. They may allude to it from time to time but as I said, the emphasis is on the future and moving forward, not looking back.”

“That’s weird.” Charlie frowned. “Every therapy I’ve ever heard of is all about working through your past—not ignoring it.”

Stavros shrugged. “That is not their way. Look—we are beginning our descent now. See on the viewscreen-? J’lorgon’s Mind is just below us.”

Charlie looked up from the scrolling information and caught her breath. The resort looked like a net of colored lights interspersed with glowing white bubbles spread out in the blackness of space. In the very center of the huge web was a sphere that looked almost as big as a small moon. It gleamed in the darkness like a vast pearl with a pink light at its center. The light seemed to pulse as she watched, almost like a heartbeat.

“That’s our target—the Temple of Learning,” Stavros said, nodding at the huge central structure. “The Heart of Love it at its center. The smaller spheres are other, lesser temples and administration offices. The lights are individual rooms for the various couples who stay here during their instruction. They’re all connected by plasti-steel corridors. That’s the ‘webbing’ between them.”

“It’s beautiful,” Charlie murmured. “Is that pink pulsing light in the center the Heart?”

Stavros nodded. “I think so. We’ll have to ask to be certain. Unobtrusively, of course.”

“Of course. What’s that?” she asked, pointing. There was a single sphere on the outer edge of the colored web that gleamed a deep bruised purple-blue. It stood out among all the pearlescent orbs looking almost ominous compared to the soft golden and pink glow of the other bubbles and brightly colored lights.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Commander Lock didn’t mention it in his report. But it’s out on the periphery of the resort—not our concern. We need to concentrate on getting to the very center.”

“We’ll get there,” Charlie said grimly. “Just give us a little time.” She sighed and unbuckled her safety harness.

“Where are you going?” The big Kindred looked at her sharply. “I told you we’re about to start our decent.”

“Keep your pants on,” Charlie snapped. “I just want to visit the ladies room and powder my nose.”

Stavros nodded. “I know that euphemism—I heard it often at the HKR building. You can find the fresher at the back of the ship but please do not be too long. I want you safely strapped in before we land.”

“Aye-aye, Captain.” Charlie gave him a snappy salute and walked past him, trying not to brush his broad shoulder with her hip as she went to the rear of the Kindred shuttle. Still, she couldn’t help a little contact and the feel of his warmth radiating against her side, however briefly, sent a shiver down her spine. Ignore it, she told herself grimly and kept walking. What she couldn’t ignore, however, was the warm, spicy scent of his skin. Why did he have to smell so damn good? She tried not to breathe too deeply until she was past the cockpit area.

The back of the ship was lit only by a strip of dimly glowing dots that ran along one wall and Charlie walked carefully, not wanting to trip. She had to pass the small but serviceable kitchen area which had a single counter and sink and a microwave looking thing and there was a tiny bedroom in the back as well as the bathroom she was looking for. She wondered if all Kindred shuttles were similarly equipped. You could live here if you had to. It would be cramped but it wasn’t much smaller than the apartment she and Missy had shared in college. That was right before Missy—

No, don’t think about that! Pushing the thought to one side, she slipped inside the bathroom and took care of business. After washing her hands, she splashed a little cool water on her face and the nape of her neck and looked in the weird viewer-mirror thing on one wall.

“You’re going to be fine,” she told herself in a low voice. “It’s just another undercover op and he’s just your partner. So what if it’s in another galaxy and your partner happens to look hot and smell amazing? Just ignore all that and do your job, Charlie. Everything is going to be fine.”

On the way back and feeling much better after her little self-pep talk, she saw something from the corner of her eye that made her jump. In the back of the tiny kitchen, just below the counter something moved.

“What the—!” Charlie scooted hastily backwards, banging her hip on the postage stamp-sized table and stared into the gloomy corner. For a moment she thought she saw a pair of red, beady eyes looking back at her. But when she dared to step closer, they were gone. Was that some kind of a space rat or am I seeing things?

She thought about telling Stavros that they needed to get an exterminator in here but just then she heard him calling for her.

“We’ve been directed to land in the Temple of Registration,” he said as she made her way back up to the front. “Strap in so we can land.”

“All right.” All thoughts of the weird space rat thing were swept from her mind as the glowing, jeweled net of J’lorgon’s Mind grew closer. Like Christmas lights, she thought as the ship descended to one of the smaller pearlescent globes. And the Heart of Love is the big present in the center, right under the tree.

She wondered how long it would take to get to it. A glance at Stavros’s stern face made her hope it wouldn’t take long. A little voice inside her was whispering that this was going to be awkward.

Don’t be silly, she told herself. It’s all just a lot of psychobabble and handholding. We’ll be in and out before you know it.

But somehow she couldn’t quite make herself believe it.

* * * * *

Stav brought the shuttle down in the proscribed landing area—a vast sphere with the top cut off and a shimmering, transparent atmosphere shield in place. As the ship passed through the shield, he saw that there were already two attendants there to greet them—a male priest and a female one. At least, he assumed they were male and female. One seemed to be taller and more muscular and the other appeared to have breasts—three of them. Otherwise it was difficult to tell them apart.

“What are they?” Charlie breathed, also staring at the attendants as the shuttle settled firmly in the parking space they had been allotted.

“I believe the beings who run J’lorgon’s Mind re mostly Hossans as J’lorgon himself was,” Stavros said. “I know they look a little…strange but I’m sure we will get used to them.”

In fact “strange” was an understatement. The Hossans were tall and thin with translucent skin which showed the fine tracery of pink and turquoise blood vessels beneath the surface. It was a somewhat disconcerting sight and he was glad they both had on robes of deep crimson which hid at least some of their see-through bodies from view. Their hair was a mass of floating white fibers that seemed to pick up the surrounding light. It formed a shimmering halo around both their heads and their eyes glowed softly—yellow/orange like miniature suns.

“I suppose we had better exit the shuttle,” Stavros said, unbuckling his harness.

“I guess so.” Charlotte sighed and did the same. “Here goes nothing.”

The shuttle door opened and they stepped forward to meet the two Hossan attendants.

“Greetings of peace and love be unto you,” the female Hossan said, stepping forward. She had a rich, musical voice like the chiming of bells. “Do we have the honor of addressing Sir and Lady Rii?”

“You do.” Stavros bowed formally. “I am Stavros and this is my lovely bride, Charlotte.” He reached for her hand as he spoke.

“Hey, what are you doing?” she protested as he entwined their fingers.

“Holding your hand. You are my bride, remember?” He raised an eyebrow at her and looked at the Hossans significantly.

“Yes, but I don’t want to be.” She snatched her hand back. “My father forced me to marry you for money—you bought me like a piece of chattel. Don’t touch me!”

Stav was a little taken aback by her role playing. But if she was going to get into the part, so was he.

“You’re damn right I bought you and now I own you,” he growled. “We are here to teach you respect for your lord and master—a lesson you had better start learning now.” He grabbed her hand again and glared into her eyes. “I will touch you whenever and however I want to and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”

“Let…me…go!” Charlotte tugged her hand free and slapped his face—hard.

Stav stared at her in surprise. Well, she’s not holding anything back—I won’t either.

“You dare to strike me?” he growled. He was reaching for her when the two Hossans suddenly got between them.

“No, no, no!” The female’s chiming voice was filled with distress and her eyes flared from yellow/orange to bright pink. “You cannot speak to each other in this manner!”

“And you must never strike one another,” the male Hossan added. His voice had the same musical quality as the female’s but with a deeper timber, like the mellow notes of a brass horn.

“Forgive us.” Stavros inclined his head stiffly. “We are but newly joined. And not very happily, I am afraid.”

“We can see that,” the female said softly. “But it is good that you are here.”

“We can help you reach the pinnacle of the Light where two become one,” the male said. “But you must first set your feet on the path and be willing to climb to where it resides.”

“What if we don’t want to?” Charlotte asked, glaring at Stav with apparent distrust. It amazed him at how completely she was inhabiting her character. Or maybe she actually felt some of the things she was saying? It was impossible to say. For the first time, he almost wished he could feel emotions instead of physical pain. At least that way he would know what she was thinking.

“Apologize to our hosts,” he growled at her, still playing his part. “They are trying to be gracious and show us the way to happiness.”

“As if I could be happy with you.” She shot him a look that was pure venom.

“You can find true happiness in the one you are bound to—even if the bond is initially unwilling,” the female attendant said softly. “But you must take the first step. The Light of love does not come to you…”

“You must go to it,” the male finished with her, both of them speaking together.

Stavros could see Charlotte rolling her eyes but when she turned to face the Hossans, she looked serious.

“Forgive us for disturbing your peace,” she said shortly.

“Peace is like a lake of calm water,” the male said gently. “Even the largest stone will make ripples that last but a little while.”

“In other words, you are forgiven. Well put, Ta’no. You are so wise, my mate.” The female smiled at the male fondly and reached up to run just the tips of her fingers over his glowing white nimbus of hair. It waved gently under her touch and Stavros wondered if it was reacting to her touch.

The male Hossan shivered and his eyes began to glow turquoise blue.

“Ah, Nar’sa…And you are so beautiful, beloved.” he murmured, returning the gentle hair-touch. The female’s hair was longer and it floated around her like a golden, glowing nimbus as he stroked feather light over just the waving ends of each shining strand.

As the male, Ta’no touched her, Nar’sa moaned softly—an almost sexual sound—and Stavros couldn’t help seeing that the nipples of all three of her breasts had gone tight and pointy under the thin crimson robe she wore. He didn’t even want to look at what might be poking out under Ta’no’s robe. From the throaty groans the Hossan male was uttering, it was certain to be an unpleasant sight.

“Geeze, get a room!” he heard Charlotte mutter.

It was a sentiment Stav was inclined to agree with. Clearly the Hossans were engaged in some kind of alien sex play and just as clearly they had forgotten that he and Charlotte were even there. Both of their eyes were glowing brilliant turquoise and they were stroking each other’s hair with increasing urgency. As yet, they hadn’t touched any other part of each other’s bodies but surely it was just a matter of time.

“A-hem!” He cleared his throat loudly and, to his relief, the Hossans pulled apart.

“Forgive us.” Nar’sa’s eyes were still glowing a dreamy greenish-blue. “Ta’no and I are still new to each other, having only been together a short hundred and fifty cycles.”

“Only a hundred and fifty?” Charlotte sounded disbelieving. “That’s what you consider a short relationship?”

“Indeed, as you see we are still not One—not even permanently joined,” Ta’no said. “That is why we were assigned as your personal councilors. It was considered that the two of you might need separate instruction before you come together.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Stavros said. If he and Charlotte split up, they could certainly cover more ground and find out more information.

“Indeed, but being parted, even for a little while, will be difficult for us,” Nar’sa said. “So you must forgive us if when we are together, we sometimes forget there are others present. As we grow closer to becoming one, we grow more and more lost in the wonder of each other.”

“Okay, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth,” Charlotte said flatly.

“Oh?” A worried look flitted across the female Hossan’s face and her eyes glowed briefly orange with concern. “Are you unwell? Has your journey sickened you?”

“Something certainly sickened me,” Charlotte began. “But it wasn’t—”

“My lovely bride is much fatigued by our long voyage to get here,” Stavros said quickly, cutting her off. “Would it be possible for her to be taken to our rooms so that she can rest and relax?”

“Your rooms are not quite ready yet—the Wardel keepers are preparing them as we speak,” Nar’sa said.

“But at any rate, you cannot go to your rooms without being properly bathed and dressed,” Ta’no said. “Accordingly, my lovely Nar’sa and I will escort you to the male and female cleansing facilities at once.”

Stavros shrugged. “All right—let’s go.”

Nar’sa looked shocked, her eyes flaring briefly pink.

“Oh no—not before you strip.”

“Excuse me?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow at her. “Before we what?”

“Here in the landing and reception area is the last place you are allowed to wear your outside clothing,” Ta’no explained in his low, musical voice. “In the Temple of Love and the rest of the resort, you must be free of outside influences.”

“Stripping away your clothing and entering the resort naked is a symbolic act,” Nar’sa said, continuing her mate’s explanation. “It shows you are leaving your outer prejudices, fears, and all negative influences behind. You are entering the temple in the same state you entered the universe—naked and unashamed. Fearless and open to love.”

“Okay, see, that’s not going to work for me,” Charlotte said quickly. “On my planet we never take off our clothes in front of others. Especially not strangers we’ve never seen before in our life.”

“Ah, how sad.” Ta’no shook his head sorrowfully. “Then you cannot enter into the resort. “I am sorry we did not know of this cultural rule of yours earlier. If we had, we might have saved you a long, weary journey for nothing.”

He turned to Nar’sa. “Come, beloved. I suppose we must go and see if there are other novices for us to mentor.” They turned and began to walk away together, moving in perfect synchronicity though they weren’t touching.

“What? You mean that’s it—just like that we can’t come in?” Charlotte sounded slightly panicked.

“Not unless we’re naked, apparently,” Stavros growled. He shot her a meaningful look—do it!—and began stripping off his shirt.

Charlotte shot him a look back that reminded him of the Earth saying about what might happen if facial expressions could be fatal but she, too, started to slowly take off her clothing.

“Wait,” she said, calling Nar’sa and Ta’no back. “I guess we’ll do it. But just…how far do we have to go around nude?”

“Not far,” Nar’sa said pleasantly, coming back to them. She nodded to the sliding metal door at the far end of the vast docking bay. “The entrance to the cleansing chambers are just past the first airlock.”

It looked like a long enough distance to Stavros to be without clothing or weapons—which he was certain he would also have to leave behind as well. And from the two pink spots of color burning high on Charlotte’s creamy cheeks, it seemed a far distance to her as well. Still, she continued to strip off her clothing without further comment. She had already taken off her outer wear and was down to some lacy blue undergarments he found most appealing. Then she caught him looking at her.

“Eyes to yourself, buddy,” she snapped, turning her back—which only gave him a better view of her round, lush ass and full hips as far as Stav was concerned. Still, he was sensitive to her wish for privacy—even when there was none to be had. So he turned his back to her as well and finished stripping off his own clothing. Then he stood there waiting, not daring to look in her direction though he badly wanted to.

“Oh, I think I see the problem,” Nar’sa said, coming forward to gather their bundles of clothes and shoes. “You are not familiar with each other’s outer shells.”

“With each other’s what?” Stav asked, confused.

“Your bodies—you are unaccustomed to touching or seeing each other’s bodies,” Ta’no said, also coming forward. “Your relationship is unconsummated.”

“You could say that,” Stav growled, stepping forward. He didn’t like how close the Hossan male was getting to the naked Charlotte.

“Do not worry, warrior,” Ta’no said, clearly seeing his apprehension. “I have no sexual desire for any save my lovely Nar’sa. I was simply trying to verify the truth of my statement. You feel protective and possessive of your female but you have yet to taste the pleasures of her flesh.”

“I have tasted—briefly,” Stav protested, thinking of the two kisses they had shared.

“But you have not drunk deeply at the fount of her desire or filled her to overflowing with your seed, have you?” Nar’sa asked.

Out of the corner of his eye Stav could see that Charlotte’s cheeks were bright pink and she was trying to cover her breasts and the small patch of curls between her thighs with her small hands.

“No he hasn’t,” she snapped. “And he’s not going to, either.”

Nar’sa shook her head and looked at her mate briefly. They seemed to share some kind of silent communication and then she turned back to Stav and Charlotte.

“We had you scheduled for classes in the Circle of Oneness, near the center of the Temple of Learning but now I see you will need to start further back at the very beginning or outer circle.”

“The outer circle? No, please,” Charlotte begged. “We need to keep the classes we scheduled. The one near the inner part of the temple!”

Ta’no shook his head firmly. “I am afraid that will be quite impossible, giving your ignorance of each other. You must begin in the Circle of Enlightenment and then progress to the Circle of Discovery before you can take classes in the Circle of Oneness.”

Charlotte looked as frustrated as Stavros felt. They had misplayed their parts and they were paying for their mistake with a serious setback. Still, he sensed that protesting further would do more harm than good. After all, they didn’t want to make the Hossans suspicious of their motives. So he only nodded his head.

“Very well, as you see fit,” he said. “Now, could you show us to the cleansing chamber? We’re both very tired and uh—”

“Naked,” Charlotte finished for him unexpectedly. “Extremely naked so could we please get going?”

“It gives me great pleasure to grant your desire,” Ta’no said formally. “You may follow us now.”

He and Nar’sa turned and preceded them through the echoing space where all kinds of vehicles were parked, towards the first airlock.

With a quick glance at Charlotte—making sure to look at her face only—Stav nodded his head.

“Come on—I guess we’d better go.”

“I guess.” Charlotte’s face were was pink with embarrassment and she was still covering herself but she kept her head high as she followed the Hossans.

Stav stole another glance and couldn’t help thinking how lovely she looked—how desirable with her curves on display—but he didn’t think she would appreciate his thoughts. Just then, she glanced at him too, her quick gaze taking him in from foot to head. Stav wasn’t trying to cover himself and he saw her eyes widen when she looked between his legs.

When her gaze reached his face, their eyes met and she looked away again, her cheeks flaming.

“Come on,” she said, walking a little faster. ‘They’re leaving us behind—let’s get moving.”

It was true—though the Hossans seemed to glide more than walk, their smooth pace was deceptively quick and they were pulling far ahead in the large, echoing chamber.

“Of course.” Stav lengthened his stride and they hurried after their hosts. He tried not to look but he couldn’t help noticing the way Charlotte’s lush breasts and ass jiggled slightly with the faster pace. Gods, she was beautiful! Even though he was still irritated with her, he couldn’t help wondering if he would ever get a chance to see her like this again…or to touch her lush body.

That in turn made him remember the boundaries she had set between them. He had a feeling that, like it or not, they were going to have to break at least a few of those rules if they were going to complete this mission.

He wondered if Charlotte knew it and if so, how she felt about it.

Stav thought he would find out soon enough…

Chapter Fourteen

Charlie was beyond relieved when the door to the far airlock whooshed open revealing a long corridor beyond. She wanted to get out of the big empty space but even more desperately she wanted to get covered up. Now if only the cleansing areas as Nar’sa had called them were someplace close…

“Here we are—the female cleansing chamber,” the alien’s soft, chiming voice said as if reading her thoughts. Charlie turned to see another sliding metal door, this one outlined in glowing pinkish-purple light, to her left. On the other side of the corridor, a similar door was outlined in blue-green light. Apparently that was the male’s side because Ta’no was already leaning Stavros inside it.

The big Kindred turned and caught her eyes briefly before going through the doorway. He gave her a slight nod that seemed to say, Everything will be okay, and then he was gone.

“Come, my dear,” Nar’sa said, ushering her through the doorway and into a large, pale pink corridor which split off into other hallways of the same color. “Let us cleanse you of all negative thoughts and emotions so that you may come to your mate fresh and clean and ready to receive him.”

“Receive him?” Her words formed a picture in Charlie’s head of herself and Stavros standing in a receiving line after a wedding—their wedding—greeting and thanking everyone who had come. He would look handsome in his tux and she would be wearing a big white dress… Ha—like that would ever happen!

“Yes, receive him—into your body,” Nar’sa said, leading her deeper into the pink room which appeared to be made of many twisting hallways. The Hossan seemed to be picking which way they went at random and Charlie hoped she knew what she was doing. Normally she had a good sense of direction but she was already hopelessly lost—wandering through the pink corridors was like walking through a giant seashell.

“Receive him into my…” Finally the other woman’s words registered. “Oh, you mean sex?”

“Penetration. Where the male enters the female—is that not how love is made by your people?” Nar’sa cast a look over one slim shoulder at her.

“Yup, that’s it all right.” But it’s not going to happen between me and Stavros! she thought but didn’t say. There was no point in getting her hostess suspicious or setting back their mission anymore. They had already been pushed back to the outer circle—The Circle of Enlightenment, whatever that meant. She didn’t want to be kicked completely out of the Temple of Learning. Still, she had to know what was expected of her and Stavros. “Um, are you expecting us to do that tonight?” she asked. “I mean, because I was under the impression that this resort was more about therapy and counseling—”

“Make love tonight? Oh no—no indeed!” Nar’sa’s eyes flared briefly the pinkish color Charlie thought meant she was shocked. “No, you are beginners—new to the ways of each other’s bodies. You must go through the Circle of Enlightenment and the Circle of Discovery before you even think of attempting such a thing.”

“Oh good.” Charlie felt a sense of relief. “And this, uh Circle of Enlightenment. What’s it all about? I mean—”

“Most of the classes and exercises you will do involve talking to each other. Intimacy building and trust exercises.”

“Oh, okay. Trust exercises.” Charlie nodded. She had this place pegged now. Like plenty of other people, she’d been forced to take part in team building retreats for work that included trust exercises. Where one person fell backwards and a coworker caught them…well, that didn’t sound too bad. And she was pretty sure she could trust Stavros to catch her. Even if the big warrior was still kind of pissed off at her for speaking her mind earlier, he was too honorable to let her fall on the floor and crack her skull or bust her ass.

“Do not worry—you will be fine.” Nar’sa smiled at her. “And now, here we are, at the pool of cleansing.”

The narrow hallway they had been walking single file in suddenly opened out into a large room with a high ceiling. But the pool the Hossan talked about, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a solid, shimmering turquoise wall that went from the pink metal floor to the ceiling, twenty feet overhead.

“Where’s the pool?” Charlie asked, looking around. “And what is that weird bluish wall?”

“The wall is the pool. It is not a pool of water,” her hostess said. “But a pool of cleansing plasma. When you walk through it, you will be stripped of all impurities.”

“Along with my skin and hair! Stars are made of plasma—isn’t it some kind of superheated gas? Huh-uh—no way.” Charlie shook her head. “I’m not going in there.”

“This is cool plasma,” Nar’sa said, smiling at little at her fear. “Do not worry—it dissolves only impurities.”

Charlie shook her head, not convinced. “Look, I’m sorry but I just—”

“Watch.” Nar’sa untied her crimson robe and let it drop to her feet. Charlie had a moment to notice that she could actually see bones and organs—including a beating pinkish-purple heart—through the alien’s transparent skin. Then she stepped into the wall of turquoise which flowed around her without losing its shape.

Charlie watched in fascination as the alien woman moved through the swirling bluish-green depths. True to her word, she didn’t seem to be in any danger. She didn’t even seem to be having difficulty breathing. She simply glided along effortlessly in a way that was half swimming, half walking. It looked a little like she was strolling around inside a massive cube of blue-green Jell-O.

Charlie frowned as she watched. It looked safe enough. Actually, it kind of looked fun. Charlie found herself wanting to try it, despite her misgivings.

Well, here goes nothing. Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward and thrust one finger into the shimmering turquoise wall. When her finger wasn’t instantly seared off she let out a sigh of relief. The plasma, as Nar’sa had promised, wasn’t hot at all. In fact, Charlie felt nothing but a cool, tingling sensation. Feeling braver, she stepped closer and put her whole arm in. The tingling increased but again it didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt strangely refreshing.

Charlie went ahead and stepped all the way into the wall of clear turquoise plasma. To her delight, the tingling enveloped her entire body like a burst of tiny tickling bubbles all over her skin. When she opened her mouth in a gasp, the plasma flowed in, filling her throat and lungs with the sparking sensation—like she was breathing champagne. It tasted like rain and sunshine mixed together—Charlie couldn’t think of a better way to describe it than that—and it filled her with a sudden euphoria.

“Ahh!” she said, or tried to say. But the plasma apparently didn’t conduct sound because she didn’t hear anything. In fact, the whole experience was completely silent and yet, she had never felt more vibrant and alive than she did just then, standing naked at the edge of the vast plasma cube.

Nar’sa turned and made a beckoning gesture to her.

Charlie nodded and took a step towards her—but found that she was gliding instead of walking. Only the tips of her toes skimmed the floor and her body was propelled effortlessly along as she moved through the swirling, sparkling plasma towards the other female. Nar’sa’s eyes glowed with light and she made a motion Charlie didn’t understand. Then she did a flip—slow and graceful and beautifully acrobatic. She made the motion again and Charlie understood.

Oh, she wants me to do it too. She’d always been athletic—in fact, she’d gone to college on a track scholarship—so she didn’t mind trying even though gymnastics wasn’t really her thing.

To her delight, it was amazingly easy to flip—the plasma supported her completely. Soon she was doing cartwheels and somersaults and all kinds of maneuvers that would have been impossible on dry land and even difficult in the water. But the cool turquoise gel seemed to make everything not just possible but completely effortless. She glided all the way up to the top of the clear turquoise cube and then back down again, flipping and turning all the way. She laughed soundlessly as she went—the sensation of the plasma all around her, and the things it made possible was amazing…positively addictive.

Afterwards she wasn’t sure how long she had spent inside the pool of cleansing. It might have been only a few minutes or it might have been hours. She seemed to lose track of time as she and Nar’sa flipped and spun and played tag and chase—acting like she hadn’t acted with anyone since she and Missy were little girls.

No, don’t think of that. Don’t think of Missy!

The sad memory of her sister brought Charlie up short. Suddenly, she was ready to leave the pool and she made motions to Nar’sa, trying to indicate as much.

The alien woman nodded and began gliding towards the far side of the turquoise cube. She stepped out of it gracefully and motioned for Charlie to do the same.

Charlie followed her but it was harder to get out than it had been to get in. She felt as though she was pushing against a thin but resistant skin as she tried to get out of the vast turquoise cube. At last, Nar’sa reached in, took her hand and pulled. With an almost audible pop, she suddenly found herself standing naked and breathless on the other side.

“Wow! That was…amazing.” Charlie shook her head. “I’ve never felt anything like it before.”

“I am glad you enjoyed it.” Nar’sa smiled. “The plasma enjoyed you too—it did not wish to let you go.” She cocked her head to one side, studying Charlie. “You have a vast energy inside you—an untapped joy. But it is clouded by something else…sadness…distrust. A pain from your past, perhaps?”

Charlie frowned. There was no way she was going to talk about her past to someone she’d just met.

“Thanks for helping me get out,” she said shortly.

Nar’sa studied her for a moment more, then nodded.

“You are most welcome.”

“Well…” Charlie took a deep breath and looked down at herself. After being submerged in the swirling plasma for so long, she would have expected to see some evidence of it on her hair or skin but she didn’t. There was no trace of it left, either inside or outside her. In fact, when she looked down at herself she was completely dry. Completely dry… and sparkling clean.

“I look like I’ve been soaking in bleach or something,” she murmured, examining herself. Indeed, all of her summer tan was gone—her skin was as pale as though she’d been through a nine month winter. But it wasn’t the sickly fishbelly white she associated with a long period out of the sun. Her skin glowed like a pearl and her whole body felt clean and moisturized and tingly. It was as though she’d been scrubbed down and then rubbed all over with some light, non-greasy oil or lotion. The way she felt reminded her a little of using the super expensive sea salt and coconut oil scrub she liked back home, only better.

“You look lovely.” Nar’sa smiled at her. “A few more trips through the pool and your shell will achieve the desired transparency to show your inner being.”

“Really?” Charlie looked at the other woman in surprise. “You mean I would become…like you? You’re not…I mean, your people aren’t normally, uh, see-through?”

“Naturally not. We are born with shells as opaque as yours. But constant exposure to the cleansing plasma of the pool renders us as you see us now…and allows a complete and final joining with the one that we choose to love.”

“Um, how many trips through the cleansing pool would it take for my shell—uh, my skin—to become transparent?” Charlie asked apprehensively. As much fun as the cleansing pool had been, she really didn’t want to become a living X-ray.

“Only a few hundred or so.” Nar’sa smiled encouragingly. “It would probably take longer than the short stay you have planned here but I can see about increasing your cleansing times if you like at least minimal transparency.”

“No, no—that’s okay,” Charlie said quickly. “That’s sweet of you but I’d really rather concentrate on uh, on the therapy. Stavros and I have a lot to work through.”

“That you do. It is very wise of you to know this.” Nar’sa nodded at her. “Very well then, once a day to the pool will have to suffice. For now, let us get you dressed and prepare you for last meal.”

“Oh, is it supper time here?” Charlie’s stomach growled and she realized that the delicious strawberry cupcake she’d had back on the Mother Ship had been hours ago.

“It is indeed.” Nar’sa was already leading her down another long pink corridor as they left the shimmering cleansing pool behind. “You and your mate will be dining together in the main feeding room. That is usual for most meals.”

“Okay—that sounds good.” After the soothing trip through the cleansing pool, even the prospect of seeing Stavros again couldn’t upset her. After all, they were just partners. It wasn’t like there was anything between them. “Um, I am going to get some clothes though, right?” she asked. Just because her partner had seen her naked once didn’t mean she wanted to give a repeat performance.

“Naturally. I have your robe here.”

They had come out into another vast room, this one empty with rows of blank white rectangular pillars about six feet tall. Nar’sa walked to one of the columns and touched it lightly three times with her right hand. Then she motioned for Charlie to do the same.

A bit apprehensively, Charlie did so. To her surprise, the entire six foot tall rectangular pillar lit up from within and began glowing with a pale pink light.

“There, now this locker is keyed to your touch,” Nar’sa murmured. “It will provide you with fresh garments every day as well as any equipment you might need for your various classes. Not that much is needed in the First Circle.”

As she spoke, a small door slid open and Charlie looked inside to see a white robe with a broad blue sash hanging inside.

“There you are—your novice robes.” Nar’sa smiled at her proudly. She touched another locker and got a crimson robe exactly like the one she’d discarded before stepping into the plasma. She put it on as she spoke. “Be glad, my dear. These robes prove the cleansing pool has determined that you are fit and worthy to begin your instruction here.”

“Oh goody,” Charlie muttered. She wondered what would have happened if the pool hadn’t decided she was worthy. Would she have been sent away? Or forced to just go naked? It didn’t bear thinking about—she was so glad to get some clothes on again! Not that she had body issues or anything…well, okay, her hips and ass were way too big, that was a given. But even if she’d had a perfectly pert derrière, she didn’t like walking around with everything on display. It was going to feel good to cover up!

She took out the robe—which appeared to be just floating there in midair in the glowing pillar-locker—and put it on. It fit her more like a dress than a loose robe and it seemed to join together at the front with some kind of invisible magnetic closures. She was just about to put the sash around her waist when she realized something.

“Hey—this is see-through!”

It was true. Though the robe covered her in an apparently modest way from her chest all the way down to her feet, when she moved in certain ways, the soft white fabric, which felt like a cross between cotton and silk, had a disconcerting way of going partially transparent. That was, unless the light was hitting it just right—in which case it went completely transparent.

Charlie was aghast. Her breasts and the neatly trimmed thatch of curls between her thighs were extremely visible. Her nipples were poking against the thin material and playing peek-a-boo depending on how she moved and twisted or how the light hit her.

“I can’t wear this!” she protested, looking up at Nar’sa. “It’s…it’s indecent. Why can’t I have a red robe like yours?”

Nar’sa laughed gently as though this was the best joke she’d heard all day.

“Why, because you are not of the Third and Inner Circle yet. The Circle of Oneness.”

Charlie bit the inside of her cheek in aggravation. So here was yet another thing she and Stavros had screwed up by overplaying their parts as unhappy spouses. She supposed it was her fault—she had started it. The whole “don’t touch me, I hate you” routine had seemed right at the time. And to tell the truth, it had been kind of satisfying to give vent to some of the irritation she had been feeling for him.

Well, now she was paying for it—paying in a big way. Had she just been thinking how nice it would be to get covered up and not put everything on display? Ha, Charlie—looks like the joke is on you! You’re going to be walking around in a see-through robe this whole mission. Hope slapping your partner was worth it! whispered a snarky little voice in her head.

“You need not be ashamed or worried,” Nar’sa said, breaking her train of thought. “You will not be the only one wearing such a robe—they are assigned to all novices.”

“I’m not worried about all the other novices,” Charlie burst out. “I’m worried about—”

“About your mate?” Nar’sa said gently. “About Stavros? My dear, I do not think you have anything to worry about. I saw the way he looked at you when the two of your were unclothed, even briefly. Clearly he finds you most desirable.”

“Yeah, well…” Charlie could feel her cheeks getting hot and she looked away. “That’s…what I’m afraid of.”

“You need not fear to give yourself to him,” Nar’sa said. “Not right away, of course. But when you’re ready. First you must learn each other’s bodies.”

“Uh, right.” Charlie cleared her throat. “Well, anyway, how does this sash fit? I don’t suppose I can wrap it here, can I?” She tried to wrap the broad, royal blue sash around her breasts but Nar’sa shook her head. Taking the sash from her, she wrapped it around Charlie’s waist and tied it on the side which had the effect of pulling the clinging white fabric of the robe even closer to her body.

“There,” she said, standing back. “You look lovely.”

“Thanks,” Charlie looked down at herself glumly. If anyone had told her she would have to go around in a see-through robe in front of God and everybody—and don’t forget Stavros—whispered the snarky little voice, she might not have been so quick to volunteer for this mission. Then again, who else could have gone in her place?

I’m doing this to save my planet, she reminded herself grimly. Eyes on the prize, Charlie. You can do this—you have to do this.

“Well,” she said out loud. “I guess we should go to dinner now, right?”

“In a moment. It appears that the locker holds something else for you—perhaps something to be used in your first class.”

Charlie looked into the glowing locker again, which had been empty a moment ago, and was surprised to see something she recognized. It was a hairbrush. A big, old fashioned one with medium-stiff bristles and a heavy wooden handle.

“What’s that for?” she asked apprehensively. It reminded her of the one her mom had used on her as a little girl. The trouble was, Mama had been just as apt to use the heavy thing for dishing out a whuppen as for brushing hair.

Nar’sa shook her head. “I do not know—clearly the cleansing pool thought you needed it. It’s purpose will doubtless be revealed in time.”

“Are we supposed to do some kind of weird BDSM thing where Stavros spanks me or something?” Charlie asked, frowning. “Because I’ll tell you right now, I’m not up for that. It might get some girls off but it doesn’t do a damn thing for me.”

“Spanking?” Nar’sa frowned. “Oh, I see what you mean. No—I thought you understood, there is not striking of your partner here. It is not permitted. Corporeal punishment is only used as a last resort in extreme cases of severe discipline. And then, only one of the Joined may conduct the punishment.”

“Oh…okay.” Charlie nodded. She picked the hairbrush out of the locker and stared at it diffidently. “What do I do with it?”

“Put it in your pocket for now. You will probably use it after last meal.”

“But I don’t have any…” Her voice trailed off because in the side of the white robe a slit had appeared where there had been none before.

Charlie slipped the bulky hairbrush into it, expecting to be irritated by its weight against her leg. Instead, it seemed almost to melt into the robe, leaving not even a bulge.

“Hey! Where’d it go?” she exclaimed, patting the side of her robe where now even the slit had disappeared.

“Do not worry—it will be available to you again when you need it,” Nar’sa promised. “Now come—we must go.”

Chapter Fifteen

Stavros stood when Charlotte entered the communal dining area…and then wished he had not. The sight of her in the thin, nearly transparent white robe made his cock start to rise under his own thin garment. His was not a robe, however, but more of a long white cloth which wrapped around his waist and fell to his bare ankles. It had a split in the middle to around knee level so walking in it was not difficult but he still felt somewhat awkward wearing the alien clothing with no underbriefs beneath it.

He felt even more awkward about the fact that his chest and arms were bare which showed the curving black lines of his Curse. It seemed to stand out against his skin, shouting to any who cared to look that he was on of the wretched few—a Sin Eater. On his home planet of Tranq Prime, he had kept the markings hidden as much as possible since they were considered ugly and bad luck. Indeed, just the sight of them was enough to make many of his kinsmen shun him completely so it was difficult for him to let them show so openly.

It occurred to Stav that he could let his hair out of the club he wore at the back of his neck and cover some of his mark. But the curving black lines covered his entire back and the sides of his arms. Though his hair was long, it wasn’t quite long enough to hide that much area. Reluctantly, he had resigned himself to letting it show. At least Charlotte hadn’t flinched from it when he showed her his back in the Mother Ship, he reflected. She had even touched the mark—something no female of Tranq Prime would have ever done.

Just the memory of her cool fingertips trailing over his back and the warm taste of her mouth when he had healed her tongue was enough to make his fangs throb and his cock even harder.

Get control of yourself! Stav lectured himself. Here she comes—don’t be a fool! Act naturally.

Right, act naturally. As though he couldn’t see her luscious, curvy body right through the thin robe she wore. But he must pretend not to notice—as much as he could, anyway.

“Huh—you look like King Tut,” Charlotte remarked as she came over to the recessed table where Ta’no had instructed him to wait along with several other couples who were talking quietly together. She looked nervous but she was clearly trying to be offhand about the way both of them were dressed. “All you need is a headdress and a big gold yoke around your shoulders.”

“Who is ‘King Tut?’” he asked, trying not to stare at her breasts. Gods, they were so full and ripe and her hips were emphasized by the blue sash bound tightly around her waist. Stavros had on a sash as well but he thought it looked much better on Charlotte.

“Never mind.” She waved a hand, which caused her breasts to jiggle enticingly. “It’s not important.”

“All right. You look lovely,” he said, looking fixedly at her face and nothing else.

She looked around. “You don’t have to say that. I don’t see Nar’sa or Tonto either.”

“Ta’no,” Stav corrected her. “And he has gone to get our last meal for us. Though I believe in the future we are to serve ourselves.” He caught her eyes with his. “And I did not say it to impress our councilors—I meant it.” He let his eyes sweep over her once, allowing himself to take in the fullness of her curves and the beauty of her form. “You are…breathtaking. A falinda.”

“A what?” She frowned at him uncertainly.

“It is a word in my native language—I suppose it doesn’t translate, even with the translation bacteria. It means a goddess in corporeal form. A deity who has deigned to grace a mortal male with her presence. I feel most honored to have you by my side.”

Charlotte’s cheeks got red and he wasn’t sure if she was upset or pleased by his compliment. Yet again, he wished that he could sense emotions and not just physical pain. He wanted desperately to know what she was feeling.

“Thank you,” she said at last. “That’s very…nice of you. Now how about we sit down and eat? I’m starved.”

“All right.” Stav motioned her to the table which was low—only a foot or so off the ground—and surrounded by cushions which were placed on the smooth pale wooden floor around it. Actually, the cushions appeared to be part of the floor because they didn’t move. He chose one on the end of the table and sat down, letting his legs slide down into the recessed area under the table that seemed to be for that purpose.

“Okay, this is an interesting table.” Charlotte seated herself on a cushion across from him so that they were facing each other. There were two other couples at the table and they nodded briefly as she got settled.

“Yes, it is.” Stav wished he could think of something more intelligent to say but he was too busy trying extremely hard not to look at her breasts. It was strange—he was surrounded by females wearing the exact same outfit as Charlotte yet she was the only one he could see. The one who drew his attention to the exclusion of all else.

“It’s really cozy and—oh!” she gasped, jumping a little and looking down at her cushion. “What the…I think this thing just got fresh with me!”

“The gundar is simply conforming to the shape of your body,” the female sitting beside Charlotte explained. She had pale blue skin, as did her mate, and thick, fleshy tentacles for hair which were writhing slowly, as though they had a mind of their own. “It wishes to make you more comfortable—that’s all.”

“A gundar—that’s what it’s called?” Charlotte looked at the pale purple cushion uneasily. She was halfway off of it, as though she couldn’t decide if she wanted to continue to sit or get as far from the gundar as she could.

“It’s all right—it won’t hurt you,” the girl with blue skin said. She smiled at Charlotte. “I’m Ssstha by the way and this is my mate, Hsssthnk.”

“Oh, uh, pleased to meet you. I’m Charlie and this is Stavros.” Charlotte offered her hand automatically in the Earth greeting Stav had often seen. She clearly meant to shake hands with the alien female but Ssstha just looked at her outstretched hand, mystified.

“It’s a greeting from my bride’s home planet,” Stavros said, joining the conversation. “They clasp hands firmly and then shake them up and down a time or two before letting go.”

“Oh—like this?” Ssstha took Charlotte’s hand carefully in her own which had six long, blue fingers and pumped it exactly twice before letting go.

“Just like that.” Charlotte smiled at her, clearly amused. “And how do your people greet each other?”

“We are from Thsssartha,” her mate said, speaking up for the first time. “And we generally entwine tongues in greeting.”

He opened his mouth and the longest tongue Stavros had ever seen slithered out. It was bright green and forked on the end. It twitched sensitively, as though he was tasting the air around him. He leaned across the table to his mate and Ssstha extended her tongue as well. The two slippery ropes of flesh wrapped around each other in a slimy embrace.

After a moment, they disengaged and then, tongue still extended, Hsssthnk looked at Charlotte. Raising his eyebrows at her, he leaned forward, clearly intending to greet her in the way of his people.

“Uh…” Charlotte’s face went blank and Stavros could tell she was struggling not to show what she really felt—which was probably disgust and unease if her body language was anything to go by.

“You must excuse my bride,” he said to the male. “But in our culture it is strictly forbidden for a female to have oral contact with any save her mate—me.”

Hsssthnk withdrew his tongue and sat back, looking faintly offended.

“Forgive me—I did not mean to contravene your customs.”

“Not at all,” Stav said heartily. “How could you know what is taboo for our people?”

“Is it a sexual act then?” Ssstha sounded curious. “Something so simple as using your tongue?”

“Indeed it is.” Stav case a meaningful glance at Charlotte. “When we entwine tongues, it leads to feelings of eroticism and pleasure. I plan on using my tongue on my lovely bride quite a lot while we are here.”

Charlotte kicked him under the table but she wasn’t wearing shoes so it didn’t really hurt—except for the fact that she stubbed her toe on his shin. The pain Stav felt echoing from the hurt digit was considerably sharper than the impact of her foot against his leg.

Reaching down with one long arm, he caught her foot under the table and massaged her toes, easing the ache for both of them. They felt dainty and fragile in his hands and he was struck at how much smaller she was than him though he believed she was about normal size for an Earth female. He could circle her slender ankle with his thumb and fingers which he did now, keeping hold of her firmly as he rubbed her toes.

“Let me go,” she muttered, frowning at him. Then, seeing that Hssthnk and Ssstha were looking at them oddly she said, “What my husband—uh, mate means is that he plans to talk to me tonight since that’s the only way his tongue is getting anywhere near me.”

“You appear to have some…interesting ideas,” Hsssthnk said neutrally.

“Anything new can appear strange.” Stavros released her foot at last and straightened up a little. “Regrettably, we cannot entwine tongues. I would, however, offer you a warrior’s clasp.” He held out his forearm and after a moment of hesitation, the other male took it, gripping near Stav’s elbow with his long, six-fingered hand. “Well met, brother,” Stav said, looking him in the eyes—which were golden with slit oval pupils.

“Well met.” The other male smiled. “A strange greeting but satisfying somehow. It makes me wonder what other strange customs you have on your planet. For instance, how do you—?”

“Shh!” Ssstha, his female suddenly hissed and gave him a look of caution.

“What is it?” Hsssthnk looked irritated at the interruption.

“A Joined One. Look—over there!” She nodded her head and several of her hair tentacles rose and pointed in the direction she was indicating.

Turning his head, Stavros saw a startling and loathsome sight—acreature with two faces was striding towards them.

Clearly it was a Hossan like Nar’sa and Ta’no. Its body looked normal with two arms and two legs but from the neck up it looked like some genetic merging accident had gone horribly wrong. Its faces were not arranged with one in the back and one in the front. Instead, it had one massive, bulbous cranium which looked as though it had once been two separate heads, now slowly melting together.

The faces of these joined heads were side by side and to Stav one looked distinctly female and the other just as certainly was male. Also, one half of the head was bald and the other had the same lush, floating halo of iridescent hair he had seen on Nar’sa and Ta’no. The skin was completely transparent and even the blood vessels looked faded. The creature had on a black robe so Stav couldn’t see if its internal organs and other inner structures were faded as well—not that he wished to see. In fact, he wanted to look away but somehow he couldn’t stop staring, though he knew it was rude.

Two sets of eyes, one glowing red and the other brilliant orange met his. Suddenly Stavros found he could look away after all. He turned his head and after a moment Ssstha whispered that the creature was gone.

“What…what is that?” Charlotte asked and Stavros was surprised to hear a tremble in her voice. Looking at her, he saw that her face was white as a sheet. Then he felt a sharp pain in his palms—what could be causing it? The others at the table seemed to be fine and Charlotte had her hands in her lap. Suddenly he understood that she was clenching her hands into fists under the table—clenching so hard that her fingernails were biting into the flesh of her palms.

“Charlotte?” He gave her a worried look. “Are you well?”

“Fine.” She gave a false sounding laugh and made a visible effort to relax. “It’s just…I thought the whole see-through skin was bad but this…”

“It’s a Joined One,” Ssstha murmured. “It is what happens to the Hossans when they spend too much time swimming in the sacred cleansing pool together. The plasma melds them together until two become one.”

“And…they like that?” Charlotte sounded incredulous.

Hsssthnk nodded. “It is their highest ambition—to be forever joined to the one they love.”

“But the joining makes them somewhat…odd,” Ssstha said. “As well as irritable.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Charlotte muttered, some of her old attitude apparently coming back. “Being stuck to another person like two marshmallows that got melted together in the microwave would make me feel just peachy.”

“Well Hsssthnk and I would not like it at all,” Ssstha said seriously, clearly not picking up on Charlotte’s sarcasm. “Luckily it takes centuries of swimming in the cleansing pool together to achieve such a level of Oneness.”

“In the mean time though, you must be wary of what you say around the Joined Ones,” Hsssthnk said. “They are the disciplinarians here and they are quick to take offense if they hear anyone discussing their home planets, customs, or past.”

“We are supposed to be striving towards the future only,” Ssstha said. “The penalties for doing otherwise can be…severe.”

“But I thought this place was all about love,” Stavros said, frowning.

“It is. But according to the Joined Ones, love must sometimes be stern.” Hsssthnk sounded skeptical.

“Huh. Tough love,” Charlotte muttered. “Tough alien love. Now I’ve heard it all.”

“Just be careful what you say and do around them,” Ssstha cautioned them. “You do not wish to incur their wrath or earn yourself a punishment. Those are…not pleasant. Especially the Temple of Regrets.”

“We will be certain to be careful,” Stavros said. “And thank you for the warning.”

“Of course.” Hsssthnk nodded at him cordially.

“What in the world is the Temple of Regrets?” asked Charlotte.

“It is—” Ssstha began.

But just then, Ta’no and Nar’sa came towards them, both holding a platter in each hand. Each platter appeared to be woven of long blades of blue straw and they were all piled high with little multicolored spheres in brilliant colors.

“Here are your last meals.” Nar’sa put one platter down in front of Charlotte and one in front of Ssstha. Ta’no deposited his in front of Stavros and Hsssthnk. “You do know the rules of repast, do you not?”

“We do,” Hsssthnk said, nodding before Stav could say otherwise.

“Well then, we hope you enjoy this humble fare,” Ta’no said. “We will conduct you to your evening classes when you are finished.”

He and Nar’sa turned and glided silently away leaving Stav to stare down at the pile of little balls on his plate.

* * * * *

“Well these look yummy,” Charlie muttered, poking one of the balls—a bright orange one—so that it rolled gently to the other side of her woven-grass platter. The balls, which looked like brightly colored Play-doh, ranged in size from peas to golf balls. None of them looked particularly tempting unless you’d been the kind of kid who liked eating paste and other crafting materials, Charlie guessed.

“They are cha-chas—a Hossan delicacy,” Ssstha, the girl with Medusa hair said.

“What do they taste like?” Charlie asked her. She was actually getting to like Ssstha and her husband. Despite the weird display of tongue-love they had given earlier they seemed like nice, down to Earth people. Though she wasn’t sure the term “down to Earth” would really apply here. But still…

“See for yourselves.” Reaching down, Ssstha picked up a golf ball sized cha-cha. But instead of putting it in her own mouth, she reached across the table to her mate. Hsssthnk opened his mouth obligingly and his long green tongue came out to curl around the round red ball and pull it in. He chewed slowly, his golden eyes glowing with enjoyment.

“Delicious! Here, you try one as well, my sweet.” He picked up a round blue ball the size of a walnut and leaned across to his wife who reached out her tongue for it.

Charlie looked away, not really wanting to see any more tongue play. She wondered why Hsssthnk and Ssstha were even at the resort. If they were lovey-dovey enough to be feeding each other tasty morsels at dinner, it didn’t seem like they would need any marriage counseling—especially the remedial kind this place was supposed to offer.

“Well…we might as well try it,” Stavros rumbled, picking up a bright yellow ball.

“I guess so.” Charlie shrugged and picked up one of her own—an orange one. She was still a little irritated at him for his comments about using his tongue on her before. And then after she’d kicked him and he’d caught her foot and started massaging her toes… The thought of his large, warm hand on her foot and ankle was…disturbing. And the sight of him sitting there across from her all broad shouldered and half-naked didn’t help either. Trying to put it out of her mind, Charlie popped the little orange ball into her mouth, chewed twice…

And promptly spit it out again in the palm of her hand.

“Ugh! That’s horrible! It’s so bitter—like somebody crushed up a whole bottle of aspirin and condensed it down to a pasty ball of chewy goop!”

Across from her Stavros was still chewing his own ball but from the look on his face, he didn’t care for it much. He swallowed with some difficulty and frowned.

“I don’t know what aspirin is but…that was not pleasant.”

“Not pleasant?” Charlie looked at him incredulously. “That’s the understatement of the year!”

“It’s because you are eating them incorrectly,” Ssstha said and popped another bright blue ball into her husband’s mouth.

“How are we supposed to eat them—does it have something to do with wrapping your tongue around them?” Charlie asked, mystified. “Because I’m afraid we’re at kind of a disadvantage there—at least compared with you guys.”

“No, I don not think you understand.” Hsssthnk selected another ball—this one as crimson as a berry—and placed it gently between his wife’s lips. “The idea of the cha-chas is to feed them to each other.”

“Why would we want to feed each other little balls of crap?” Charlie asked flatly. “I mean, not to be rude but—”

“Taking the food from your lover’s hand changes the flavor completely,” Ssstha assured her. “Go on—try it.”

“Seriously?” Charlie looked doubtfully down at her plate and then back up to Stavros. He shrugged.

“We might as well try it.”

“Fine. Open up.” Charlie selected the biggest ball she could find—a pea green one a little bigger than a golf ball—and held it out to him. She couldn’t help a little twinge of satisfaction as she chose it. This would teach him to grab her foot and massage her under the table!

Stavros looked distinctly nonplussed.

“Why must I be the first one to try?”

“You afraid, big guy?” Charlie raised an eyebrow at him tauntingly.

He frowned. “I am not afraid of anything you could do to me, Charlotte…not physically anyway.”

Charlie frowned back. What the hell was that supposed to mean? She wasn’t about to ask.

“All right—put up or shut up,” she said, holding out the pea-green cha-cha and leaning across the table.

The big Kindred leaned towards her and opened his mouth.

Triumphantly, Charlie popped the weird alien food between his lips. But before she could withdraw her fingers, Stavros closed his mouth over them. She could feel the sharp points of his fangs but he didn’t hurt her—he just sucked gently at her fingertips.

“Hey!” Charlie pulled back quickly but her whole hand and arm seemed to tingle at the warm, wet feel of his mouth.

Stavros grinned at her and she realized this was his payback for her selection of the biggest ball and for making him go first in the taste test.

“Very funny,” she said as he began to chew. “How is it—any better?”

A surprised look came over his face and then he swallowed.

“It is…actually, it is not bad.”

“What does it taste like?” Charlie was deeply suspicious. Since they were playing this little game of one-upmanship she wouldn’t put it past him to pretend to like the flavor just to throw her off her guard.

Stavros shook his head. “I cannot describe it but it’s certainly vastly superior to the first one I ate myself. Here—try for yourself.” He picked up a cha-cha—a small blueberry-sized one—and held it out to her.

Charlie still didn’t trust him but her stomach was growling and there didn’t seem to be anything else to eat in the whole place. Every table she looked at was filled with happy couples feeding each other the little brightly colored balls. Ridiculous.

“Come on—try it,” Stavros urged, still holding out the cha-cha.

“Well…all right.” Wish a sigh, she opened her mouth.

He placed the little ball gently on her tongue and withdrew.

Bracing herself for the bitter taste, Charlie bit into it—and gasped in surprise as sweet, succulent juice squirted across her tongue. She kept chewing and it got even better. The cha-cha had lost its pasty, gluey consistency. Instead it was crisp and juicy and tender all at once—yielding delightfully under her teeth and spreading a flavor that was indescribably good through her whole mouth.

“Oh! It’s like…” Charlie tried to find a way to describe it which wasn’t easy—the cha-cha was like nothing she’d ever tasted before. “It’s a little like fried chicken…and a little like roasted nuts…and there’s some kind of fruit in there that’s sweet and tart at the same time, too. Maybe…peaches? Or mangos?” She looked at Stavros, who was grinning, apparently amused by her reaction. “Why didn’t you tell me it was this good?”

“Would you have believed me if I had?” His deep voice rumbled softly.

“I…don’t know,” Charlie confessed, feeling put on the spot. “Probably not.”

“You need to learn to trust me, Charlie.” He caught her eyes and held them with his deep blue gaze. “We’re partners—we need to work together.”

Charlie finally managed to tear her eyes away from his, her cheeks flaming and her heart pounding. His use of her nickname disturbed her somehow as did the way he was still looking at her. Damn it—why did the big bastard affect her so much?

“Here, have another,” she said, grabbing a cha-cha at random and holding it out to him.

“Thank you.” He accepted the morsel from her without comment and, to her relief, without trying to suck her fingers again. “Delicious,” he rumbled and held a medium-sized red cha-cha out for her. “Would you like one as well?”

“Please.” Charlie allowed him to pop the food in her mouth and chewed slowly, still not meeting his eyes. This ball had entirely different flavors—some familiar and some alien but all completely delicious, like the first one Stavros had fed her. Granny smith apples…roasted pork…cinnamon…and something else. But what? She didn’t know and anyway, she was just trying to distract herself from the strange tension between them. “Your turn,” she said, picking up another and holding it out to him.

They fell into a kind of rhythm after that of taking turns and feeding each other. It felt strange at first but by the end of the meal when she popped the last cha-cha between the big Kindred’s lips, Charlie found she was almost getting used to it.

See, this isn’t so bad, she told herself as they both sat back from the table. You’ve got this, Charlie—you can do this!

Just then Nar’sa and Ta’no reappeared, moving as one as they glided silently up to the table.

“We hope you enjoyed your evening repast,” Ta’no said, smiling at them.

“And now it is time for your evening class,” Nar’sa said.

“A class?” Stavros asked. “All right, what is it called?”

Nar’sa and Ta’no spoke as one.

“The Sensuous Touch.”

Chapter Sixteen

“The what?” Charlie’s heart was racing like a panicked racehorse but Nar’sa and her mate were already beckoning for them to get up from the table.

“Come, come—we must go. We must not keep the instructors waiting.”

Stavros got up from the table at once, moving with surprising grace for such a big guy. He came around to Charlie and held out a hand to help her up.

“Thanks but I got it.” She stood on her own and then looked up to see the big Kindred staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

He let his hand fall to his side. “Do you really fear my touch so much?” he asked in a low voice. “You were not like this before…when I healed you.”

His mention of the passionate healing kiss they had shared made Charlie feel hot and cold all over. How could she tell him that she hadn’t been afraid to let him touch her on the Mother Ship because she’d believed she would never see him again? How could she explain that it felt different…dangerous to touch him here, where they were expected to be together for who knew how long? You can’t trust him, whispered a little voice in her head. He’s just like all the rest—you know he is.

“That was…different,” she mumbled, looking away. “Come on—we’ll be late for the class.”

Without waiting to hear his reply, she hurried after the gliding forms of Ta’no and Nar’sa who were almost out of the vast dining area by now.

There was a choice of three different hallways. They were led down the far right one and went down a long metal corridor, their bare feet echoing on the dull silver floor plates, until they came to a large, deep blue double door. Here their councilors stopped and turned as one.

“Welcome to the Temple of Learning,” Nar’sa said, inclining her head graciously so that her floating halo of hair waved gently. “This door opens into the First Circle—the Circle of Enlightenment. Here you will begin to learn each others bodies and minds beginning with this first class—The Sensuous Touch.”

“Are we taking this class all by ourselves?” Charlie looked around nervously. “I mean, what about Hsssthnk and Ssstha?”

“Unfortunately, no other couple in the resort requires the level of remedial help that the two of you do,” Ta’no said, shrugging. “So you will be receiving this class separately. Hopefully in time you will catch up and be able to take instruction with some of the other students.”

“Geeze,” Charlie muttered. “So we’re stuck in the slow class?”

“Think of it this way—you will be receiving exclusive one-on-one instruction with one of our finest teachers.” Nar’sa smiled gently. “Come, you will meet them now.”

The double doors slid open suddenly, revealing a medium sized room that was empty except for a single figure in a black robe who was standing with its back to them.

Oh no! Charlie had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Please don’t let it be…

“Greetings.” The figure turned around, revealing the two-faced stare of the Joined One they had seen in the dining area. The male face glowered at them but the female one smiled benignly. Charlie couldn’t tell which one of them had spoken and she didn’t really care.

All she could see was the monster from her nightmares—the ones she’d had as a kid—brought on by a particularly scary movie she’d seen at a slumber party. The Creature from Hell…God after all these years, she still remembered the name. Missy had had to sleep with her for months after that.

She was an adult now but she still didn’t like the look of this weird thing—seeing it in the dining area had sent a cold chill down her spine. But seeing it now, up close and knowing she would have to be in close proximity to it, made her like someone had dumped a bucket of ice cubes into her stomach.

“Greetings, Joined One,” Ta’no spoke reverently. “I was just telling our guests how privileged they are to receive private instruction from one of your caliber.”

“We shall see if they can be taught.” It was the male face that spoke this time—certainly. His voice was deep and booming in the enclosed space and he stared fiercely at her and Stavros who was standing behind her.

“I am certain they can, my love,” the female face said softly.

“But Ta’no has said that they hate one another,” the male face insisted.

“The opposite of love is not hate but indifference,” the female replied. “In any strong emotion the seeds of affection are present. We must nurture those seeds and see that they grow to blossom in our students’ souls.”

“As you say,” the male face grumbled. “So then—let us begin. Come closer—approach us.”

Charlie really didn’t want to. She hung back, crossing her arms over her chest protectively as the beast from her childhood nightmares flashed before her eyes. God, she felt sick.

“What is wrong with the female?” the male face boomed. The creature strode towards them, glaring at Charlie.

She backed away—all she could see was the two-faced monster that had terrified her so long ago. The recurring dream so dark and horrifying it made her afraid to go to sleep unless her sister was right there beside her. But Missy was gone now…had been gone for years…

Suddenly her back bumped into something hard and warm. She looked up to see Stavros standing behind her, looking down at her with obvious concern.

“Charlotte?” he said softly. “Are you well?”

“I…I…” The old fear robbed her of speech and she could only shake her head.

A sudden impulse struck her—the desperate urge to turn and bury her face in his broad, bare chest—to seek safety and shelter in his arms until the nightmare was past. He was so big and strong…clearly he could keep her safe!

Somehow she managed not to do it. She hung onto her dignity by a thread and stood her ground. But she didn’t try to shake off his hands when he placed them firmly on her shoulders. Instead, she huddled back against him, feeling his big body like a comforting wall, radiating heat and safety that surrounded her.

“Well?” The monster was getting closer and closer. Charlie couldn’t bear to look anymore—she closed her eyes.

“Step back.” Stavros’s voice was soft but it had an edge of steel in it. Pressed as she was against him, Charlie could feel it rumble through her entire body.

There was a little gasp from Nar’sa. “You must not speak so to a Joined One!”

“I will speak however I feel necessary,” Stav growled. “You are distressing my mate. Now step back.”

Charlie cracked one eye open just enough to see the monstrous Joined One retreating.

“Very well,” the male face said huffily. “Then Nar’sa and Ta’no must teach the class.”

“But, Joined One,” Nar’sa protested. “Ta’no and I are not in perfect harmony yet. We are nowhere near the level that you are.”

“We cannot work with a student who does not respect us,” the female face said, frowning reprovingly. “Come, we will give you a few moments of instruction on what is to be done and then you must take over.”

The Joined One and their councilors went into a corner of the blue room and began to speak in low voices.

“Charlotte? Are you feeling better?” The deep voice in her ear made her jump and Charlie realized Stavros was still standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. “You don’t need to be afraid,” he murmured. “I will not let the Joined One touch or hurt you.”

“I’m not afraid of it—it just…creeps me out, that’s all,” she denied uneasily.

“You’re certain?” he squeezed her shoulders lightly. “Because your heart is pounding—I can feel it when you press against me.”

“I said I’m fine.” God, what’s wrong with me, acting like that? He must think I’m some stupid little coward! She shook off his hands and stepped away from him, frowning.

“There is no shame in admitting you feel fear.” Stavros raised an eyebrow at her. “I feel it every time I go into battle—I’d be a fool not to. This situation is much like that—we are in enemy territory and—”

“Well, it appears that instead of having expert instruction you must make do with Nar’sa and myself,” Ta’no said, coming over to them. To Charlie’s relief, the Joined One was leaving through a door on the opposite side of the room.

“That’s fine with us,” she said steadily. “Just tell us what to do and let’s get this over with.”

Nar’sa glided over. “According to the Joined One, you must make use of whatever the cleansing pool gave you.”

“What?” Stavros frowned. “I was given nothing but this...clothing. He looked down at his Pharaoh-skirt, as Charlie privately thought of it, with obvious distaste.

“You were given something though, Charlotte,” Nar’sa said gently. “Now is the time to bring it out.”

“But I’m not sure how to—” Charlie was patting the side of her robe where the pocket had disappeared as she spoke. Suddenly, the pocket appeared again with the handle of the hard wooden hairbrush poking out of it. “…get to it. Oh…” she finished as she drew the hairbrush out.

“What is that?” Stavros asked, frowning at the dark brown handle and the black bristles. “Some kind of tool?”

“It’s a hairbrush.” She glowered at him. “And no—it’s not for spanking. So don’t even think about that.”

Stavros looked mystified. “Why would I think such a thing? I would imagine that an implement called a ‘hairbrush’ would be for brushing hair, would it not?”

“Well…that’s supposed to be its use, anyway,” Charlie said, thinking of the many whuppuns she’d gotten with an “implement” exactly like the one she was holding.

“Well then…am I supposed to brush your hair?” he asked, still looking at the hairbrush uncertainly.

“Actually, I believe it is Charlotte who is supposed to brush your hair,” Nar’sa said gently. “The brush was given to her—she is the one who must use it.”

“Oh, well…” Charlie shrugged. “I don’t mind, I guess. “Except he’s so tall he’s not going to be easy to reach.”

“That is easily managed. Simply sit on the thera-mat.”

Charlie didn’t see any mat but Nar’sa seemed to be indicating the floor. It was covered in a thick, spongy blue material that reminded Charlie of the padding they put under the jungle gym equipment in some of the nicer playgrounds.

“All right.” Shrugging, she sat down and Stavros did as well, sitting in front of her with his back to her so that she could get to his hair. He was so tall, however, that she still couldn’t reach him with both of them seated. “This isn’t going to work,” she said to Nar’sa. “Maybe if he sits and I stand…”

“Unnecessary,” Ta’no said. Leaning down he patted the mat around where she was sitting. Suddenly it began to rise and before Charlie knew it, she was perched on a spongy, blue stool which was just the right height. The back of Stavros’s head was a waist level now since he was still sitting on the ground.

“Oh, uh…perfect, I guess.” Charlie was a little unsettled after being hoisted up by the mat but at least it had put her where she needed to be. Now to work on the big Kindred’s hair, which was bound tightly into the club at the back of his neck. She looked blankly at the elaborate series of knots that held it in place. “Um…”

Stavros turned his head for a moment to look at her.

“If my mark bothers you, you do not have to touch it,” he said stiffly.

“Your mark?” Charlie frowned. “Oh—you mean you tattoos?” She nodded at the shifting, swirling black lines that covered his back. They shimmered and changed as she watched, showing that rainbow-on-an-oilslick effect that had so fascinated her the first time she saw them.

“That is exactly what I mean. If you prefer to keep your distance from it—”

“No, no—it’s not the tattoo, er, mark,” Charlie said, frowning. “Why would I care about that?”

Stavros looked away. “As I believe I told you before, on my home planet is considered…distasteful.”

His obvious apprehension about the markings on his back surprised and touched her unexpectedly. It was hard to believe that someone as big and muscular and handsome as Stavros could have body issues but clearly he did.

“It’s just your hair,” she explained. “You’ve got it tied up in all these knots and I don’t know if I can get it down without pulling it.”

“Oh, is that all?” He reached behind his head and his fingers flew nimbly over the black cord that bound the club. After a moment it came loose and his hair fell down over his shoulders in rough auburn waves.

“Oh…” The breath fell out of Charlie in a long sigh. Thick and shining, his hair had every color of the sunset from deep auburn to burnt umber to golden reddish brown. It came down around his muscular shoulders in a wild mane and stopped just below his shoulder blades.

I never would have guessed he had this depth of color! It just looks dark reddish brown when he has it up!

Tentatively, she reached out to stroke it, as though it was the pelt of some wild, gorgeous animal she wanted to tame. Indeed, it seemed to have a life of its own now that Stavros had finally set it free. It crackled against her fingertips and the long strands clung to her hands.

“Gorgeous,” she murmured as she ran her fingers through it. “Just…gorgeous.”

Stavros shivered under her light touch. “Charlotte?” He made her name a question. “Aren’t you supposed to be…” He cleared his throat. “Aren’t you supposed to be brushing?”

His words made Charlie realized that she’d been sitting there running her fingers through his hair without actually brushing it. Indeed, to an outside observer it would probably look like she was getting off on petting his (admittedly gorgeous) hair.

“Sorry!” she exclaimed. “I just…I’ve never seen hair quite like yours.”

“It is not the usual shade for a Blood Kindred,” Stavros admitted. “I was tormented in school because of it. All of the other children were blond.”

“But it’s beautiful!” She took a thick handful and began to brush it with long, controlled strokes, the way Missy had always brushed her hair when she was little.

Stavros sat quietly at her feet as she worked on him and gradually, some of the tension she’d seen in the set of his broad, bare shoulders began to melt away. In fact, he seemed like he might almost be enjoying himself. Charlie wished she could see his face to know for sure.

Why should you care if he’s enjoying it or not? whispered a little voice in her brain. Just do your job and play your part. But still, she couldn’t help liking the silky-rough texture of his hair and the warm, spicy scent that rose from it as she brushed.

At least his hair is all I’m touching, she told herself. With a name like The Sensuous Touch, she’d been afraid this class would be all about weird ways to make each other orgasm. And she was so not up to performing an alien Karma Sutra right now.

“Very good,” Nar’sa murmured, coming up beside her. “You are doing an excellent job so far.”

“Thank you but it’s not hard—I mean, I’m just brushing his hair,” Charlie pointed out.

“But you are brushing gently and with love and patience,” Nar’sa said. “It is a small step but through such steps we come to know the one we call beloved. We come to respect and revere their inner self by worshiping their outer shell.”

“Um…okay.” Charlie shrugged. “I guess.” It all sounded like new-age mumbo-jumbo to her but she was willing enough to go along with it. After all, brushing hair was easy. She could do it all day.

“I am glad you understand,” Nar’sa said. “Ta’no and I were afraid it might take a long time for the two of you to get to this point but we are pleasantly surprised. It seems you have truly internalized this lesson, Charlotte.”

“Sure have.” She was in a rhythm now, gliding the brush through the big Kindred’s thick hair, making the long strands gleam with a healthy shine. In fact, she was barely paying attention to what the councilor was saying at this point. Which was why she nearly missed Nar’sa’s next statement.

“Which is why it is time to move on to the next part of our class—sensual massage.”

* * * * *

It took a moment but then Charlotte said, “What?” and the hairbrush paused in mid-stroke.

Stavros, who had been enjoying her soft hands on his hair immensely, felt frozen in place. What would they be required to do next? And how would Charlotte react?

“Do not fear,” Ta’no said. “The class is sensual massage—not sexual massage. You will not be required to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, right,” Charlotte muttered under her breath. “I’m already uncomfortable.”

“What are we required to do?” Stav asked, looking up at their councilors.

“You will not have to do anything—not yet, anyway,” Nar’sa told him. “It is Charlotte who must act.”

“Why me?” Charlotte protested, sounding almost panicked. “Why am I first again? Isn’t it his turn?”

“The cleansing pool gave the implement to you, Charlotte,” Nar’sa said gently. “That indicates that you have the most anger and mistrust to work out. It’s not surprising really, considering your history.”

“Nar’sa!” Ta’no sounded shocked. “How dare you speak of the past? You know very well that we live in the present here and seek towards the future. We never discuss past regrets.”

“I did not mention any actual events from her past,” his mate protested. “I simply meant—”

“I know what you meant but one of the Joined Ones would not be so understanding—or so forgiving.” Ta’no went to her and took one of her long fingered, translucent hands in his. “Be cautious, beloved. I would not see you punished.”

“Wow, they’re really strict about the no-past rule, huh?” Charlotte murmured as the two Hossans nuzzled each other.

Stav turned his head and gave her a small nod. “Apparently. Charlotte…” He cleared his throat, uncertain how to go on. “I am aware of how you feel about this. The…boundaries you wished to preserve…”

“I’ll be fine.” She lifted her chin. “Don’t worry about me.”

“I do not wish you to be uncomfortable,” Stav protested.

She gave a short, bark of a laugh.

“Too late for that, big guy. Listen, don’t worry, Whatever it is, I’ll get through it.”

“We’ll get through it,” Stavros corrected her gently.

Charlotte didn’t look convinced. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” She shrugged and then looked at their councilors. “Hey, you two—either let’s get this over with or let us go to our rooms and sleep. It’s been a long-ass day and I’m tired.”

“Forgive us.” Nar’sa and Ta’no—who had been petting each other’s hair again—pulled reluctantly apart. “We are so very in love it is difficult to—”

“Yeah, yeah, we know—you go together like peanut butter and jelly and you just can’t get enough of each other,” Charlotte said sarcastically. “But could you tear yourselves away from your perfect relationship for long enough to get on with the lesson, please?”

“Of course,” Ta’no said stiffly. “It was never our intention to leave you without instruction.”

“Okay, whatever. What am I supposed to do next?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him.

“You must use the implement the cleansing pool gave you on Stavros once more,” Nar’sa instructed.

“Well I did that.” Charlotte was beginning to sound exasperated. “If you just wanted me to keep brushing his hair, why did you stop me in the first place?”

“Look at the implement,” Nar’sa said. “It is no longer what it once was.”

“It…what?” Charlotte glanced down at her hand and of course Stavros looked to. To his surprise the hairbrush was no longer a hairbrush. Instead, it had become a small blue bottle with a ruby red stopper.

“What is that?” he asked, frowning. “Open it, Charlotte.”

She did and sniffed bottle uncertainly. “Smells like…lavender? Maybe a little eucalyptus?” She dipped her fingertip in and drew it out shiny. “Oh—it’s massage oil,” she said, rubbing it between her thumb and fingers.

“Exactly.” Nar’sa nodded approvingly.

“So you want me to what…massage him?” Charlotte looked at him doubtfully and Stav tried to return her look with a blank one of his own. There was no doubt the idea of her soft little hands on his body aroused him—just the thought made his fangs ache and his cock hard. Or it would have if he hadn’t been so worried.

“Um…” Charlotte cleared her throat. “Where?”

“His back, of course,” Ta’no said. “The neck, shoulders and back are the areas males carry most of their tension. It is the obvious place to begin.”

“No, it’s not.” Stav got up quickly and took a few steps away. “It’s not the obvious place at all.”

“It most certainly is, Stavros,” Nar’sa said, frowning. “Whatever is wrong with you? Do you object to Charlotte touching your back? There is nothing sexual in such a gesture.”

“I do not object but I am certain Charlotte will.” He kept his voice low and steady but inside he was clenched tight as fist. The ignorant fools—to even suggest such a thing! What female in her right mind would want to even touch his mark, let alone massage him there?

But to his surprise Charlotte said, “I don’t mind.”

He looked at her in disbelief. It was true she had touched him there—very briefly—once before and she hadn’t shied away from being close to him as she brushed his hair. But this…the idea of a lengthy and lingering touch…of actually massaging the area covered by the hated mark… Well, it was wrong. Just wrong.

“You cannot mean that.” His voice sounded low and rough, even in his own ears.

“Why not?” Charlotte got off the stool made out of blue thera-mat and came over to him. “Look,” she said under her breath, staring at him. “This is the easy way out—don’t you see? Think of all the embarrassing places they might have asked me to touch you. And instead they just want me to massage your back. It’s no big deal.”

“It is not right,” Stav growled. “Not right to ask you to touch me there...”

“What, is the back some kind of erogenous zone I don’t know about for your people?” Charlotte demanded.

“Most certainly not. It is…my mark.”

“Your tattoo? Will it burn me if I touch it too long?”

He shook his head. “No, but—”

“And will it hurt you if I touch it?”

“Well, no…”

“Then there’s no harm, no foul. Lay down on your stomach and let’s get this over with.”

Stav still couldn’t quite wrap his head around what she was proposing.

“You are certain you don’t mind?” he had to ask once more.

“Positive.” Charlotte gave him a gentle nudge. “Come on, lay down. The sooner we get started, the sooner we’ll be finished and we can go get some rest.”

“Well…all right, I suppose.”

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than Ta’no and Nar’sa came over.

“You have decided to do as the cleansing pool directs? Good,” Ta’no said. Kneeling down, he patted the mat with one palm, describing a rectangular area about seven feet long and four feet wide. As soon as he finished tracing it, the entire area rose to form a low table. “Get on,” he said to Stav.

Almost before he knew what he was doing, Stavros was lying face down on the spongy, springy table. The thera-mat substance cradled his body and supported him perfectly but he still buried his face in his arms, wanting to block out all sight of what was about to happen.

“Okay, good—here we go,” he heard Charlotte say. “Let me just get this out of the way…”

She must have been bending over him by his head because he felt her soft little fingers carding through his hair again, pulling it to one side.

“I can put it back up into a club again,” he offered, his voice somewhat muffled by the mat.

“No,” Charlotte said quickly. “Don’t do that—I promise not to get oil in it. Leave it down. I…I like it down.”

“All right.” If he had been less tense, the fact that she seemed to like his hair might have intrigued him. As it was, however, he was too tight and miserable to do much more than force himself to lie still.

“Okay, now…” His sensitive ears caught the soft sounds of Charlotte pouring some of the oil into her hand and rubbing it between her palms and he tensed even more. “I guess I should start at the neck, huh?” she murmured. And then her soft little hands were stroking over the nape of his neck and sliding across his shoulders before moving lower to stroke between his shoulder blades.

Thought Stav’s eyes were tightly closed, he could almost see her in his mind’s eye. He pictured her bending over him, stroking the oil over the shifting lines that covered his back. Imagined her caressing the evil bands of black that sealed his fate and marked his doom.

Gods, he couldn’t believe she was really doing this! How could she bring herself to touch his mark—the very thing that proved he was different and made him loathsome to others of his own kind? The bane of his existence. The curving black lines that poisoned his life.

And yet she continued, digging her little fingers into his flesh and rubbing with surprising strength as she tried to ease the tension in his knotted muscles.

“Wow, you’re really tight,” she muttered as she worked on his shoulders. “It’s like massaging steel. Are you okay?”

“I am perfectly fine.” Stavros strove to keep his voice even but it came out hoarse and ragged. No one had willingly touched his back in this way—not ever. Even his own mother had shied away from it when the mark of the Sin Eater first started showing at the age of six cycles. Yet Charlotte was touching him, gently but firmly, over and over—stroking and massaging as though it didn’t bother her at all. How could she endure it?

A better question might be, how could he endure it? Stavros clenched his fists and bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood. It felt wrong to let her touch him this way—wrong to put her in contact with the darkest, most awful part of himself. She was polluting herself—making herself unclean by coming in contact with his mark. And yet the massage went on and on—an endless cycle. Charlotte trying to ease the tension in his back while he got more and more miserable and tense.

Finally, to his great relief, Ta’no called for a halt.

“The time allotted for this class is now up. It is time we took you to your rooms.”

“Okay,” he heard Charlotte say. She stopped rubbing him but left one hand resting lightly on his shoulder. To Stavros, that light weight seemed to burn. How could she continue touching him so casually? Shouldn’t she want to pull her hands away and wash them in the hottest water she could find? Not that it would do her any good. He knew from bitter experience that nothing could wash away the stains of the Sin Eater from his skin.

“Come,” Nar’sa said. “Surely the Wardel keepers will have your rooms ready now.”

“Okay, whatever that means.” Charlotte patted him on the back again. “C’mon, big guy. Let’s go. I’m tired.”

Stavros wanted to get up but just at the moment he felt paralyzed—his chest swirling with a miserable combination of shame and anger. His hands were clenched into fists, his face still buried in his arms. His entire body felt tight—frozen. It seemed he would never move again.

* * * * *

“Come on,” Charlie said impatiently. “Let’s go—or did you fall asleep on the table?” She had done that a couple of times herself. She didn’t often get massages –she didn’t like the idea of strangers touching her. But it had been required as part of her physical therapy after a work injury a few years back and she had found one masseuse—a nice lady called Eva—who seemed to have just the right touch. Ever since if she had a particularly bad couple of months, she would sometimes treat herself to a half-hour back, neck, and shoulder massage to ease the tension.

She had been trying to use some of the techniques on Stavros that Eva used on her but without much success. It seemed like the more she massaged him, the tighter he got. Either I’m a really sucky masseuse or he just doesn’t like being massaged, she thought.

“Stavros?” she asked again. “You okay?”

“I will be fine. I just need a moment.” His voice sounded strange and hoarse.

Suddenly Charlie understood what must have happened. Eva had told her that every once in awhile a male client would get an erection while she was massaging him. “It’s not their fault—just happens sometimes. They all get so embarrassed so I try not to make a big deal out of it.”

She and Eva had laughed about it at the time but maybe that was what had happened to Stavros. Despite her antipathy towards his kind, she didn’t really want to make the big Kindred feel bad about something he obviously couldn’t help. He had seemed so different as she brushed his hair and rubbed his back. Less intimidating and more…human somehow.

“Hey…” She stroked between his shoulder blades soothingly. “Hey, it’s all right, Stav.” It was the first time she had used his nickname but instead of relaxing him, it seemed to make him even tighter. Indeed, the knots in his back went from steel to stone. Oh, no—somehow she was making it worse. She tried again. “Um…look, I know what must have happened and I’m, uh, not upset, really. It’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal,” he repeated flatly.

“No, it’s not. It, uh…it happens. Right? I mean, my masseuse Eva told me it happens to guys all the time.” She rubbed his back some more, stroking his shoulder where the curving black lines of his tattoo seemed to shift and curl under her fingertips and palm, almost like an animal that enjoyed being stroked. “So you’ll be fine, okay?”

“Yes, I will be fine.” He turned his head to look at her and Charlie was shocked to see the misery and anger on his face. His jaw was clenched and his lips were tight. His eyes were narrow, red slits. It wasn’t the look of a man who’d just been enjoying a relaxing massage—it was more like someone who had just submitted to an invasive procedure they hated with every fiber of their being.

“Stavros?” she asked hesitantly.

“I will be fine if you ever…stop…touching me.” His voice was a low, angry growl—the sound of a wounded animal about to bite.

“Oh.” Charlie pulled her hand away hurriedly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to—”

“Excuse me.” He rolled over at last and she couldn’t help noticing there was absolutely no sign of an erection. So clearly that wasn’t the problem. So what was the problem? Had she hurt him in some way? But why hadn’t he said so if that was the case?

What did I do wrong?

Before she could ask, he was up and off the low table the thera-mat had formed. He didn’t look at her but the set of his shoulders said that something was very, very wrong and Charlie couldn’t imagine what.

She stared at him with concern. She hadn’t know him that long but in the short period of time they’d been together, he had seemed like a pretty even-tempered guy. Now he was stalking angrily away without waiting for her to follow, his jaw tight and his hands clenched into fists. He had appeared to be so peaceful and relaxed while she was brushing his hair—like a sleepy lion, powerful but content. Now he was poised to strike. What in the world could have brought on this transformation?

She looked at the shifting lines on his bare back. Could it have to do with the tattoo—the thing he called his mark? He’d said that it was considered bad luck on his home planet—did he think she had somehow brought bad luck on him or herself by touching it?

There were so many questions swirling through her mind but she didn’t have a chance to ask any of them. Ta’no and Nar’sa were leading the way to their rooms and Stavors was stalking along behind them silently, clearly not in the mood to talk. Charlie hurried to catch up, wondering what in the world she had done wrong and how she could fix it. You better figure something out and quick or the rest of this mission is going to be completely miserable and it didn’t start out that great to begin with! whispered a little voice in her head.

The long metal corridor that led to their room was painted a soothing blue but somehow Charlie’s nerves refused to be soothed. She still couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her partner. Not that she ought to care—after all, the Kindred were her enemy. After what they had done to Missy… but she didn’t want to think about that. And somehow she couldn’t help caring that Stavros was so clearly angry and upset. Especially since she appeared to be the cause of his bad mood.

“Here are your rooms.” Nar’sa beckoned them down a short hallway that led off from the main corridor. It dead-ended in a single sliding door panel which was covered in a shifting pattern of every shade of green imaginable. As she had in the cleansing area, the female Hossan instructed first Charlie and then Stavros to press their hands to the lighted panel at the side of the door. Once it was keyed to both their touches, the door slid open…

And a blast of arctic air blew out, swirling around them.

“What in the world?” Still wearing her thin, mostly see-through robe, Charlie wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “What happened here—did somebody forget to turn the heat on?”

But neither Ta’no or Nar’sa seemed surprised or upset.

“Ah, good—I see the Wardel keepers have done their job well.” The male Hossan nodded approvingly. “The room is certainly an appropriate temperature.”

“The what?” Charlie demanded. “What are Wardels and what do they have to do with the room. And how is sub-zero weather in the place we’re supposed to sleep ‘appropriate?’”

“Wardels are a type of microbe from Gaza Prime that generate cold,” Ta’no explained. “They cling to all available surfaces—they will cling to your hair, skin, and clothing, making you extremely cold.”

“What? Why?” Charlie shook her head. “Why would you try to turn our room into the freaking North Pole?”

“The Wardels cling to every available surface but they cannot cling to a combined energy field.” Ta’no seemed completely unfazed by her irritation.

“A combined energy field? What does that even mean?” Charlie was rapidly becoming exasperated. It had been a long, stressful day in which she’d been forced to walk around mostly naked and eat weird alien balls and do things that made her really uncomfortable. To make matters worse, her partner was pissed off at her for some unknown reason and now she was apparently expected to sleep in the alien equivalent of an ice hotel. She’d had just about enough.

“A combined energy field is just what it sounds like—you and your mate must touch each other to combine your fields and repel the Wardels,” Nar’sa explained. “The closer you get, the warmer you will be.”

For the first time, Stavros spoke up.

“This is ridiculous. If you think you can compel us to touch each other in this way—”

“We know we can compel you to touch each other this way,” Ta’no said and there was just an edge of steel in his voice. “Otherwise you will surely freeze.”

“We’ll just go sleep on our ship,” Charlie shot back.

“I am afraid if you leave your rooms and go back to your ship, you will automatically be exiled from the resort,” Nar’sa said gently. “And as you are already showing considerable progress, I believe that would be a shame. Don’t you?”

“A tragedy,” Stavros growled. “Come, we might as well go in and see if we can get comfortable for the night.” He spoke to Charlie without looking at her. Then, without waiting for her to follow he stalked into the room, apparently heedless of the chilly air swirling out.

“Sleep well,” Nar’sa said, smiling. “You may wish to know there is an alarm on your outer door that will let us know if you leave your rooms. And remember…”

“The closer you and your mate get, the warmer you will be,” Ta’no finished with her.

Then the Hossans turned as one and left, leaving Charlie standing there, shivering with cold and wondering what in the hell she was going to do.

Chapter Seventeen

Eventually, of course, she had to walk inside—what else could she do? Reluctantly, arms wrapped around herself and shivering with cold, she stepped past the sliding green door and into the small apartment she and Stavros had been assigned for their stay.

It was cozy enough—or would have been except for the arctic weather. There was a tiny living area, just big enough for an oversized loveseat, a postage stamp sized kitchen just big enough to have two cabinets, a counter with some strange alien appliances on it, and a tiny table with two chairs.

Well at least they don’t expect me to sit on Stavros’s lap while I drink my morning coffee. If there is morning coffee, she thought bleakly. The small kitchen led directly into a short, narrow hallway which ended in another green door. Her partner was just disappearing into it.

“Hey, wait up.” Charlie ran after him and found herself in a small bedroom which was mostly taken up by a large bed. Other than the bed there wasn’t much furniture except for two of the white pillars like the kind in the changing room outside the cleansing pool. They were positioned on either side of the bed where night tables would normally be. There was a small door in the corner of the room which Charlie assumed led to a bathroom. Stavros was headed there now. “Wait a minute,” she said, before he could disappear where she couldn’t follow.

He turned, an extremely unfriendly expression on his face.

“What?”

Charlie tried not to recoil from the obvious hostility in his voice.

“Look,” she said, trying be reasonable. “I think we just need to talk. You seem really upset and—”

“There is nothing to talk about.” His voice was a menacing growl that said the subject was closed indefinitely.

“But can’t we just—”

“No,” he snapped and shut himself into the bathroom—or fresher, as the Kindred called it—before she could even finish.

“Wow…” Charlie sank down on the edge of the bed and hopped back up again with an exclamation. It was like sitting on a block of ice! It had a nice firm mattress but its surface was so cold.

Seriously, how was she supposed to deal with this? She couldn’t leave their rooms or the alarm would sound and they would be kicked out of the resort. She couldn’t touch Stavros for warmth, even though that was what they were supposed to do, because he was completely pissed at her for some unknowable reason. And the damn microbes the Hossans had released into the room made every surface she touched ice cold. How was she going to survive the night, let alone the rest of her stay here?

On impulse she went over to the white pillar on the right side of the bed and put her palm on it. Its surface was ice cold but after a moment, the pillar began to glow softly and a door appeared on its flat side and slid open. Inside the “magic cabinet” as Charlie was beginning to think of it, were a few things she could most definitely use.

“Good—a toothbrush and toothpaste,” Charlie murmured to herself. “And—is this thing a nightgown?” She drew it out and looked at it critically. It was longer than the robe she wore now and it seemed to be made of some translucent-white fur. What was the deal with this place? Why couldn’t she get a garment with any color or at least one that hid more than it showed?

She would have been reluctant to trade her robe for the gown but it occurred to her that the see-through fur might be warmer. Then she had an even better idea—she would take off the robe, put on the gown and then put the robe back on over it. That way she could be warm and modest at the same time—that would be nice.

She cast a quick glance at the bathroom door but she could hear water running inside, clearly indicating Stavros was taking a shower. Probably trying to get some of that massage oil off his back, she thought. With quick, economical motions, she unwrapped the blue sash and parted the robe. Shivering, she laid them carefully over the edge of the open door in the pillar and slipped into the fur nightgown which had been left for her.

It fit snuggly—a great deal more snuggly than she really liked, hugging her bare breasts and the curves of her hips like a second skin. And her initial assessment that it was as translucent as the robe turned out to be right—she could see everything when she looked down from the tight pink buds of her nipples, peaking in the chilly air, to the blonde curls on her mound and her slit. Also, the fur wasn’t nearly as warm as she had hoped.

Well, it didn’t matter—she was going to be double covered as soon as she put the robe back on.

“Yes, sir, nice and toasty warm and not a bit obscene,” Charlie muttered to herself, reaching for the robe. “Just really nice and—”

She stopped talking as her searching fingers encountered nothing.

“What that? Wait a minute—where’s my robe?” she demanded, looking at the pillar. The blue sash was still there but the robe was nowhere to be seen. As Charlie watched, the sash was suddenly whisked inside the pillar and then the door snapped shut. So that was what had happened to the robe! The damn pillar had made it disappear like Cinderella’s ball gown on the strike of midnight. Apparently you could only have one garment at a time here. Or else the stupid magic cabinet just wanted to screw with her.

“Hey, I was still using that!” Charlie protested, slapping her hand against its side. “Give that back—I’m cold and I want to put it back on!”

But the white pillar remained immutable and silent. Even the dim light which had glowed from its surface when it first opened died out, leaving it cold and white and completely unhelpful.

“Damnit!” Charlie glared down at herself, thinking that she was in worse shape than ever. The thin nightgown showed everything and didn’t keep her warm at all, despite the feathery fur that covered it. Well, at least now she had a way to brush her teeth.

There was a tiny sink in the corner opposite the bathroom. She went over and brushed her teeth, noting that the toothpaste tasted and looked exactly like the Crest Ultrabrite she used back home on Earth. Was that a coincidence or had the cleansing pool read and recorded her preferences while she was playing in its clear, turquoise depths?

Either way, it didn’t really matter. Her teeth were brushed and she was dressed for bed. The thing to do now was to get up the courage to go back to the block of ice that passed for a mattress and try to get comfortable in it.

She’d been shivering steadily for some minutes now but she knew the bed was going to be harder to get used to than the chilly air. Still, she couldn’t wait forever. She went to the side of the bed, trying to get up her courage. Oh my God, this is going to be so cold… As she stood there, hesitating, the bathroom door slid open and Stavros came out.

With a little squeak, Charlie dived under the covers. She didn’t really want her partner to see her in the nightgown which was, if anything, more see-through than the novice robe.

The bed was, as she had expected, a block of ice. The thin, silky sheets which seemed to be made out of the same material as the novice robes, felt as cold as the tomb against her skin. Charlie huddled in the bed miserably as Stavros strode into the room, still dressed in his Pharaoh-skirt and nothing else. His long hair was down and slightly damp. There were also droplets of water on his chest and broad, bare shoulders. The added moisture should have made him even colder but the chilly temperature of the room didn’t seem to bother him at all.

“There are clothes and other things in the white pillars,” Charlotte volunteered, even though he hadn’t asked or even acknowledged her existence. “Just put your hand—” But Stavros was already placing one broad palm against the side of the left hand pillar and reaching inside for the clothing and toiletries it contained.

He turned to put his back to her as he changed from the white Pharaoh garment to a pair of white sleep pants. Charlie tried not to look at his muscular ass but it was difficult. It made her remember the obvious effort he had been making at dinner to look only at her face and not her breasts. Were they going to spend the whole time here trying not to ogle each other’s bodies?

Well, it doesn’t look like it’s a problem anymore—at least not for him. He won’t even make eye contact with me right now.

Indeed, Stavros was avoiding looking in her direction as he brushed his teeth with something that looked strange and different from and Earth toothbrush. Maybe the magic cabinets gave you whatever you were used to and this was a Kindred tooth-cleaning device, she reflected.

He moved with apparent ease, not shivering in the slightest even though he was still bare to the waist, ignoring her completely. It was as though she didn’t even exist.

Charlie just lay there getting colder and colder—her body heat didn’t seem to do a thing to warm the icy sheets she was lying between. Finally she couldn’t stand the heavy silence between them anymore.

“H-how come you’re n-not cold?” she demanded, frowning at him. “It’s f-freezing in here!”

“This?” He looked around the room as though assessing the temperature. “This is nothing.”

“How can you say that?” she demanded. “It’s like a meat locker in here!”

He shrugged. “I come from Tranq Prime—a world covered in ice and snow. We are used to such temperatures.”

“Really? I d-didn’t know that.” Charlie tried to keep her teeth from chattering. She was miserably cold and getting colder by the minute but at least her partner was speaking to her again. Maybe if she could just keep him talking… “T-tell me more,” she urged, half sitting up in bed to look at him.

But Stavros shook his head and she could see that the closed expression was still on his face.

“We are not permitted to speak of the past, remember? Besides, it is time to sleep. Doubtless we’ll have a busy day tomorrow.”

“But—” Charlie started to protest, but he had already climbed into his side of the bed and turned on his side so that his back was to her.

“Stavros…” She reached out to him timidly. But the moment her fingertips brushed his shoulder he flinched as though she’d burned him.

“Don’t touch me,” he growled.

“Fine, I won’t!” Fed up with his attitude and his refusal to tell her what was wrong, Charlie jumped out of bed, taking the sheets and blankets with her.

“What in the Seven Hells are you doing?” the big Kindred demanded, turning to face her.

“I’m going to go sleep on the couch,” she snapped. “And since you’re Mr. “I’m not cold a bit”, I’m taking the blankets with me. So you can lay here on a bare bed and pout for all I care.”

Stavros looked at her in apparent surprise but before he could reply, she flounced out of the room with the icy sheets and blankets trailing behind her like a long cape. Two could play the cold shoulder game and she was prepared to give every bit as good as she got—especially since both her shoulders were absolutely freezing.

She got settled on the tiny loveseat, which wasn’t really long enough to stretch out on. Not that she wanted to stretch out—she was too busy curling herself into a ball to try and conserve warmth. Huddled at one end, Charlie attempted to settle down and go to sleep. Sleep, however, was a long time in coming.

She’d had some cold nights before—living in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, that was a given. She’d even had a couple of times when the power went out in her cabin due to heavy snow and she had been unable to get any heat at all except from her fireplace. Those had been some cold nights. But she’d had her flannel pjs and Granny’s quilt to keep warm. Sitting in front of the fire with a steaming cup of hot coco made using an antique kettle that heated over the flames, she’d been almost cozy once her body heat warmed a little pocket inside the quilt.

But here in the microbe cooled apartment of the alien resort, body heat didn’t seem to count at all. It never accumulated like it did back home, no matter how tightly she wrapped the covers around herself. In fact, Charlotte thought she could feel it being sucked out of her by the fabric that was supposed to be keeping her warm. It was miserable.

Should take a hot shower, she told herself, remembering the puff of steam that had escaped the bathroom when Stavros came out. It would help bring up my core temperature.

But she couldn’t bear the thought of getting undressed and stepping into water, no matter how hot it was. And then, even if she could muster the courage to do that, there would be that inevitable moment when she had to step out of the heat and into the bitter, biting cold again. No—it was unthinkable.

“Just…unthinkable,” Charlie whispered and yawned. Despite the extreme cold or maybe because of it, she was finally feeling sleepy. Closing her eyes, she let herself drift off, still shivering as sleep finally claimed her.

* * * * *

Stavros tossed and turned on the bare bed for hours, angry with Charlotte and angry with himself. How dare she accuse him of pouting, of all things? And how dare she act as if what she had done during their evening class was of no consequence? “It’s no big deal,” she had said. Stav had wanted to tell her that it most certainly was a big deal. She had touched him in places that no female ought to touch a Cursed One. She had dishonored them both and she had the temerity to act as though it meant nothing.

Maybe you should tell her that then, instead of freezing her out, whispered a practical little voice in his brain. How can she know what is taboo on your home world when she comes from a completely different planet?

I tried to tell her—tried to let her know she shouldn’t touch my mark, he argued back. But she just went ahead anyway. She—

A high, frightened scream interrupted his thoughts. At once, every bit of anger he’d been feeling towards Charlotte was wiped away by an overwhelming wave of concern and protectiveness that crashed over him.

“Charlotte?” He was off the bed and into the small living area in an instant. He found her huddled into a tiny ball on the couch, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Tears were leaking down her cheeks and her lush mouth was drawn into a trembling line of terror.

“Charlotte?” Stavros said again. “Charlie?” He put a hand on her arm and she jerked upright at once, her eyes suddenly wide open.

“Don’t let it, Missy,” she gasped, her voice choked with fright. “Don’t let that two headed thing get me! Please! I know we shouldn’t of watched that movie—Mamma said not to. I’m sorry but please don’t let it get me!”

Stav didn’t know who Missy was but it didn’t matter. Clearly Charlotte was having a nightmare—possibly brought on by the sight of the Joined One that had frightened her so much earlier.

“Charlie,” he said sharply, when she tried to get off the couch. “Stop it and come here—you’re all right. Everything is all right.”

“Wh-who…wh-what?” Her teeth were chattering and as he took her in his arms, Stav realized her skin was cold as ice. A stab of shame hit him right in the gut.

It’s my fault she’s cold and frightened and alone out here. We were supposed to keep each other warm but I turned my back on her. All because I was angry at her for committing an impropriety she didn’t even know about or understand.

“Come on,” he said, gathering her into his arms along with the blankets and sheets which were twisted around her. “Let’s go get you warm.”

But it was easier said than done. Though he held her close to his body in the center of the bed, her shivering wouldn’t stop and her chilly skin didn’t seem to thaw.

She’s chilled to the bone, he realized at last. Those Goddess-damned Hossans weren’t kidding when they said she could freeze to death if we didn’t stick together—she’s nearly frozen now!

Deciding that holding her wasn’t enough, he gathered her up again and took her into the fresher. There was a bathing tub with a shower attachment at the top. Stavros was tempted to put her in the shower but he didn’t think it would do any good. She needed to be submerged in the warm water to bring her body back to anything resembling a normal temperate. He turned on the tub and then sat and held her cradled against him as it filled.

Charlotte had become very sluggish now which worried him. And when he was able to provoke a response from her, she was delirious—either out of her head with cold or still gripped in the nightmare that she seemed unable to wake from.

She cried—the tears wetting her cheeks—and called for “Missy” over and over. Stav wondered who Missy was—an old lover? But it sounded like a female name. Was it someone who had once been dear to her then? Someone she had lost or left behind on Earth?

He wished he knew.

When the tub was filled with water, he placed her gently into it, fur gown and all. He didn’t want to upset her by trying to pull the too-tight gown off—what would she think if she came to her senses and found him stripping her naked? Nothing good, Stavros was sure.

He tried not to look at her body as she floated in the tub, the white fur gown now completely translucent. But the outlines of her full breasts and hips and the innocent slit of her pussy drew his eyes even though he didn’t want them too.

You don’t deserve to look at her, he told himself angrily. Not after the way you let her nearly freeze to death! You’re supposed to be protecting her—not abandoning her to the elements!

Still, the tight pink tips of her nipples, pushing against the see-through fabric made his fangs ache and his cock feel hot and heavy in the white sleep trousers he wore.

He tried to distract himself by running more water and holding her head gently above the lapping waves.

“Charlotte,” he murmured. “I’m sorry…so sorry. Please come back to me…”

Chapter Eighteen

The nightmare of the two-headed monster had finally turned into something more pleasant. She was rocking on a warm sea, floating above the waves as her hair swayed in the currents and a strong hand supported her.

Charlie thought about telling the owner of the hand that she was fine—that she was an excellent swimmer and didn’t need help. But she found she liked the feeling of being held and supported. It was…nice and so unexpected. She’d never had anyone she could depend on for support—not since Missy left. And she had the feeling that whoever was supporting her really cared—at least, if the gentleness of their touch was any indication.

The warm waves lapping in her ears obscured most other sounds. But after a little while, she became aware of a low, masculine voice murmuring something.

“Charlotte,” the voice said. “I’m so sorry—please come back to me. Please, Charlotte…”

Charlotte? Nobody calls me that, she wanted to tell him. Everybody calls me Charlie except…

Except Stavros—the big Kindred who was her partner on this mission.

Charlie’s eyes flew open and she saw him kneeling over her, a look of concern and remorse on his face.

“Stavros? What’s going on?”

She struggled to rise but she was being weighted down by something wet and heavy. Looking down the length of her own body, she realized it was the furry nightgown which was now both completely waterlogged and totally see-through.

“Oh, my God!” Feeling incredibly vulnerable, she tried to cover herself with her hands. “Why do you have me naked in the bath?”

“It was the only way to raise your core temperature,” he said quickly. “And you are not naked—you still have your sleeping gown on.”

“Which is now completely see-through,” she pointed out. “I might as well be naked.”

“Well, you’re going to have to be in a minute,” he rumbled grimly. “At least until we can get you something else to wear. You can’t keep that damn thing on with the temperature so low in here—you’ll freeze to death. And you’ve already attempted that once tonight.”

“I…nearly froze?” His words sent a shiver down her back.

Stavros nodded. “If you hadn’t had a nightmare and started screaming, I never would have checked on you until morning. By then…” He swallowed hard, his voice coming out low and rough. “By then it would’ve been too late.”

“Well, I feel much better now.” She tried to sit up again and this time she actually managed it. The minute she did, she started to shiver. Even with the hot water running, the air in the bathroom was incredibly cold.

“Wait, you can’t do that until I get a towel ready. And you’d better get out of that wet gown too.”

“A-all r-r-right.” Her teeth were chattering which made it hard to talk.

“I’ll help you.” He made a move towards her but she drew back.

“I’m f-fine—I can d-do it myself. D-don’t look.”

Charlie knew it was a ridiculous request—he’d already seen everything there was to see through the damn gown. But she couldn’t help it—she felt vulnerable when she was naked and she was well aware that she probably wasn’t looking her best right now.

Without comment, Stavros considerately turned away while she stood shakily, stepped out of the tub, and began to pull off with the wet gown. But the heavy, soaked material clung to her stubbornly and refused to be peeled off, no matter how hard she tried. Every time she got part of it up, it slithered back down again—it was almost like the damn thing was alive and didn’t want to leave her alone!

At last Charlie stood there, trembling with fatigue, the icy, wet gown still clinging to her. Her heart was pounding and her legs were shaking and she was so cold she was miserable.

“Charlotte?” He was still turned away from her but the big Kindred’s voice carried just fine in the small bathroom. “Do you need some help?”

“I…” She didn’t want to admit it but she didn’t know what else to do. “It’s l-like this d-damn thing is a-alive,” she said, her teeth still chattering. “D-doesn’t want to let g-go of me.”

“Possibly it’s some kind of a tharp.” Stavros sounded thoughtful.

“What’s a—”

“I can feel your fatigue and weariness and you must be getting cold again. Will you please let me help you?”

Charlie sighed, defeated. “A-all right,” she whispered. “But hurry, ok-kay? I’m really c-cold.”

“I know. We’ll get this done quickly,” he promised, turning around. Reaching down, he grasped the sopping hem of the gown and pulled upward, trying to pull it up and over her head.

The gown fought him. It tightened around her body until Charlie gasped for breath and pounded him frantically on the shoulder.

“C-can’t…squeezing…me,” she managed to gasp out.

“Seven Hells,” he growled and dropped the hem. At once it loosened its grip on her—but not by much.

“Th-this is r-ridiculous.” Charlie looked down at the waterlogged gown. It was so cold she was certain ice crystals would start forming in the wet fur at any moment. “F-freaking furry boa constrictor,” she muttered resentfully. “C-crazy.” It reminded her of the strange, shrinking panties she’d had on in the weird dream she’d had aboard the Mother Ship. Not that she wanted to remember that—especially not right now.

Stavros was standing back, his hands on his hips and his eyes narrowed as though considering the problem. At last he looked at Charlie.

“Do you trust me?”

“Um…w-why?” She wasn’t certain she liked the look in his eyes.

“I think I can get this thing off you but I don’t want to startle you. And I don’t want to say too much out loud as I am not certain if it is sentient or not.”

“Oh, you don’t want to spill the beans in c-case my f-furry friend can understand w-what we s-say?”

He nodded. “So I need you to trust me.”

Charlie looked down at herself. What choice did she have? She was stuck in the icy , soaking wet gown and she was getting colder by the minute. She had to get it off before it either froze or squeezed her to death. Reluctantly, she nodded.

“Ok-kay. Do it,”

“Thank you.” Without giving any further explanation, Stavros stepped close to her and lowered his face to the neckline of the dress, which happened to be right between her breasts.

Charlie felt his hot breath against her sensitive flesh and was about to protest when she saw a flash of his fangs. What the hell—is he biting through the damn thing? Apparently so because the dress began to squeeze her again, as if protesting the rough treatment.

“Stavros,” she gasped. “Stav! It’s—”

“Don’t worry.” He gripped the top of the dress, curing his long fingers in the constricting material and gave a violent yank.

There was a low ripping sound and the fur dress parted right down the middle, gaping open to show her breasts and thighs and pussy. Charlie barely had time to gasp before he was behind her, grasping the back of the fur gown and pulling it sharply off her shoulders, like an overenthusiastic butler.

She gave a little cry when the thing was finally off and sank to her knees on the cold metal floor.

“Here.” Stav threw the ruined gown into the corner where it landed in a sodden heap. He gripped Charlie’s shoulders and propelled her upward, getting her back into the bathtub. Then he turned on the shower and pushed her into the hot water that came gushing out.

“Ahh…” Charlie lifted her face to the warmth. Finally her teeth stopped chattering as she began to thaw. It felt so good to be warm again!

Then the water turned to ice.

“Oh—aigh!” she gasped, backing away quickly. “Cut it off! It’s freezing!”

Stavros stuck in a hand to see and frowned.

“What in the Seven Hells?” he muttered, fiddling with the temperature gauge. But they had apparently used up their supply of hot water—and long before Charlie had gotten warm through again.

The big Kindred shut off the water and held out a towel to her instead.

“Come out,” he ordered. “We can’t let you stay wet—not now that there’s no more hot water.”

Charlie hopped out of the tub and allowed him to wrap her in the large white towel. But though it dried her off, it didn’t warm her a bit. Soon her teeth were chattering again.

Stavros was frowning at her, a worried expression on his face.

“Come on,” he said at last, taking her by the hand.

“W-where are we g-going?” Charlie demanded, hanging back.

“To the bed. To warm you up.”

“What? N-no!” she protested, dragging her feet.

He threw her a swift glance over his shoulder.

“If you’re concerned that I will try and take advantage of you in your unclothed state, please don’t worry. “I swear by the Goddess that I have only your health and safety in mind.”

“N-no, it’s not that,” Charlie protested. “It’s the f-fact that the d-damn bed’s a bl-block of ice!”

It was true. As cold as she already was, she didn’t think she could face getting between those icy sheets and lying on that morgue slab of a mattress. It was too much.

“Don’t worry,” Stavros rumbled, pulling her onward. “You won’t be lying on the bed—you’ll be lying on me.”

Before she could protest, he had spread up the bed with a rapid jerk of the sheets and blankets. Then he climbed between the sheets and lay on his back. “Come on.” He beckoned to her. “And leave the wet towels—they’ll just make you colder.

“I—” Charlie didn’t know what to say. Should she crawl naked into bed with a man she barely knew, a man who was her partner in a serious sting operation? No, you sure as hell shouldn’t! whispered a little voice in her head. “I d-don’t want t-to,” she said at last.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You’d rather freeze to death?”

“N-no but—”

“Then this is the only option.” He raised himself on one elbow. “Unless you’d like to drink some of my blood?”

“What?” Charlie wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. “D-drink your what?”

He sighed impatiently. “I’ll explain it if you’ll come here.” His voice dropped to a low, pleading tone. “Please, Charlotte—I promise not to do anything improper. But I do not wish to see you freeze to death and this is the only way I can warm you up.”

“I just…don’t kn-now.”

“If you’re worried about me seeing you unclothed, we can fix that. Lights dim,” he rumbled. Immediately the room, which had been at least minimally lit before, was plunged into semi-darkness.

Charlie still hesitated. But the damp towels around her body were rapidly becoming as icy and clinging as the gown had been and her skin was covered in goose bumps. Did she want to do this? No. Did she need to? Unfortunately, yes, she told herself. Don’t think about it—just do it. As fast as you can.

Stavros was still holding the covers open for her invitingly, a waiting expression on his face. Taking a deep breath, Charlie dropped the towels and scrambled into bed with him as fast as she could.

“Good,” Stavros rumbled. “Now come here.”

Before she could squeak out a protest, he lifted her up as though she weighed no more than a rag doll and deposed her face down on top of him so that they were chest to chest.

“Um…” Charlie squirmed uncomfortably, aware that her bare breasts were pressed against his broad chest.

“Please don’t do that.” Stavros’s deep voice sounded strained. “This is difficult enough as it is.”

“You think it’s difficult for you—” Charlie began and then she became aware of a long, hard ridge pressing against her lower belly. Oh… Abruptly she stopped squirming around and tried to lay still.

“That’s better,” he rumbled and put his arms around her. “Now try to relax. You should warm up soon.”

Charlie tried to do as he said but she was tense with embarrassment and cold. Oh my God, this is so awkward! Are we supposed to just pretend this is normal—lying here naked—well, I’m naked anyway, at least he has on sleep trousers—with him getting all hot and bothered because I’m on top of him?

“Relax,” he murmured again. “Or at least try—I can feel how tense you are. It’s like holding a piece of wood against my body.”

Charlie thought about saying she wasn’t the only one sporting a piece of wood but she really didn’t want to open that discussion.

“How am I supposed to relax?” she demanded instead. “This is so weird. I mean, I’ve been on plenty of police stings but I’ve never had to cuddle naked with my partner before as part of one.”

“Don’t think of it as ‘cuddling’ then, if that bothers you,” he murmured. “Think of it as survival. I can’t let you freeze, Charlotte, and since you don’t want to drink my blood, this is the only way to warm you up. Are you feeling warmer? You’ve stopped shivering so much.”

“Some,” she admitted, realizing it was true. “Do you want me to move? Am I crushing you?”

He gave a low laugh. “Hardly. You’re not that heavy, you know.”

“My hips and ass would beg to differ,” Charlie muttered. “But I thought I might be making you…uncomfortable in, uh, other ways.”

He cleared his throat. “If you mean my…arousal, I apologize for that. But you have a very beautiful body and I cannot control my body’s involuntary reaction to you.”

“Um, okay. Thanks, I guess,” she said awkwardly.

To tell the truth, she could hardly control her reaction to him either. Pressed as she was, right up against him like this, she could smell that warm, spicy, completely masculine scent that rose from his skin. God, what was that anyway—some kind of cologne? But there was nothing artificial about it—it seemed to be just his natural smell.

As unobtrusively as she could, she pressed her cold nose to his warm, broad chest and inhaled deeply. Mmm, amazing! His big body seemed to cradle hers in warmth and safety—as though he was her very own breathing mattress. And he was so warm too—he seemed to put out heat like a furnace. Was that because he came from a cold planet and was used to these temperatures? Or did it have to do with the microbes being repelled by their “combined field?” Charlie didn’t care. For whatever reason, it was really nice.

But as nice as it was, she was still tense and uncertain. There was a long, uncomfortable pause between them and she didn’t know what to say. Finally she blurted, “Tell me what I did wrong this evening.”

“What?” He seemed startled by the question.

“When I was massaging you.” Charlie hoped he wouldn’t get mad at her again for asking. But at least this time he was a captive audience—he couldn’t just walk away from her and refuse to answer.

“Well…” Stavros shifted uncomfortably.

“Look, I really need to know,” Charlie said reasonably. “We’re partners here. I need to know what I did wrong so I can avoid doing it again and setting you off.”

“You didn’t ‘set me off’,” he protested.

“Oh no?” Charlie frowned at the outline of his features in the darkened room. “Then why were you so pissed off at me? And don’t say you weren’t—you know you were.”

“All right,” he said reluctantly. “I will admit I was…not happy.”

“Ha. Not happy.” Charlie snorted. “You were as mad as a bear with a bumblebee up its butt.”

“A what with a what up its posterior?” He sounded like he was frowning.

“Never mind. Just tell me what I did to make you so mad. Was it…was it that I touched your tattoo?” she asked in a lower voice. “Were you trying to tell me not to and I just ignored you? Because if so, I’m sorry. I should have been more sensitive to the signals you were trying to send.”

Stavros was quiet for a long moment—for so long, in fact, she wondered if he was going to answer. Finally, just as she had given up and decided they would go back to awkward silence, he spoke.

“It wasn’t so much that you touched it—my mark, I mean,” he said in a low voice. “It was that you were willing to touch it.”

“I don’t understand,” Charlie said blankly. “I mean, I know you said people on your home planet think it’s bad luck—”

“That was an understatement,” he said. “It is not just bad luck. It is…an abomination. A cause for disgust and loathing. No woman of Tranq Prime would ever lower herself to touch it, let alone massage me there, as you did. Not even a whore.”

“I’m sorry that your people are so superstitious and judgmental,” Charlie remarked. “But did you just say I was lower than a whore?”

“No—that’s not—” He shifted restlessly. “You don’t understand what I’m trying to say. Even my own mother would not come near me once the mark started growing on my back when I was just six cycles old.” His voice dropped lower, as though he was lost in the memory. “She first saw it during bathing time. I…I remember how she screamed.”

“She screamed?” Charlie asked softly.

“You have to understand—it was like seeing the mark of death on her only son,” he rumbled. “My parents had feared the possibility that I might be Cursed because of my red hair—it is often the sign of a Sin Eater. But it usually manifests early, when the child is still a baby. I think my mother had allowed herself to love me more and more as the years went by and no mark appeared. And then, when she finally saw it—” He sighed. “It horrified and disgusted her, as it does all the people on my home world.”

“But…you were her only son, like you said,” Charlie protested. “Surely she got over it eventually.”

In the darkness, she saw his head shake.

“No. She never got over it. Before then, she used to hug and tickle me to make me laugh—it was one of our favorite games. After the mark began to grow on my back…” He cleared his throat. “I…I do not believe she ever touched me voluntarily again.”

“Stav, that’s awful,” Charlie murmured, using his nickname without thinking about it. “I just…I don’t know what to say.”

He shrugged philosophically. “It is the life of a Sin Eater. There is nothing more to say.”

“So should I have avoided your back? Maybe…massaged you someplace else?”

“Not…necessarily.” He sighed. “I suppose I should be less sensitive. It’s just…no female has ever touched me there before. It was…a moving experience.”

“And I treated it like it was no big deal. I’m sorry,” Charlie said again. Despite the animosity she had felt for him in the past, she couldn’t help being moved by his sad story. To be rejected by his own mother—an outcast among his people—and all because of a stupid mark on his back. It seemed so unfair…so awful.

“And I am sorry I didn’t explain more fully about my mark earlier,” he rumbled. “It is…shameful to me. But I should have given you more information before we came to this place.”

“We’re both to blame,” Charlie said softly. She shivered again. “You know, you’re really warm but it’s still so damn cold in here.”

Stavros pulled her closer. “I wish I could warm you more thoroughly—from the inside out.”

Charlie shifted against the hard ridge that still pressed against her belly. It had gone down some when he was telling her about his mark but now it seemed to be getting harder again.

“Um…” She cleared her throat. “I’m not sure what you mean by that but—”

“Not that way,” he said quickly. “I was talking about giving you my blood.”

“Tell me about the blood drinking thing. Is that something you do a lot on your planet?”

“Only between mates,” Stavros said in a low voice. “A Blood Kindred may warm his bride by giving her his blood to drink.”

“Oh…but I’m not your—”

“I know you are not,” he said. But for some reason my body reacts as if you were. My fangs get longer and sharper. My…” He coughed. “Anyway, my body reacts to you.”

“So if I was to, uh, bite you and take your blood it would warm me up?”

A tremor ran through him and a low growl came from his throat.

“Did I say something wrong?” Charlie asked, alarmed.

“No, forgive me. It is just…the idea of you biting me. It…”

“What?” she pressed when he paused.

“Biting and being bitten…it is a very intimate and erotic activity among the Blood Kindred. When you talked about biting me I just…could not help reacting.”

“Oh…” She cleared her throat. “I see. We…my people think biting is, uh, erotic too.” She didn’t know why she was telling him this—maybe it was just her own vampire fetish coming out. “Some people do, anyway. We even have legends about supernatural beings that bite others,” she said.

“Vampires, you mean? Yes, I’ve heard of that,” he murmured. “But I thought they were a kind of demon. Evil creatures that feed on blood.”

“That was the traditional view. But it’s changed recently. What doesn’t change though, is that it’s usually the vampire doing the biting—he almost never gets bitten himself. Or herself, I guess.”

“We do bite when bonding our mates to us,” Stavros said in a low voice. “Or when we heal them.”

“But you’re the one getting bitten when you warm them up, right?” Charlie asked, shivering again.

“Yes,” he rumbled softly. “As I would like to warm you.”

Despite herself, Charlie found she was becoming increasingly intrigued by the idea.

“Would…would I have to drink a lot of your blood?” she asked.

“A very little bit would do,” Stavros assured her.

“Well…” Charlie bit her lip indecisively.

Really, Charlie—do you think this is a good idea? whispered a little voice in her head. He just told you that biting and drinking blood is an erotic thing for them—it’s probably like agreeing to give him a blow job or something!

But I’m cold, she argued back. My back is still freezing. Stav says this could warm me up from the inside out so it might be worth trying. And it’s not like I’m letting him bite me. I’ll just be taking a little bit to help warm me up, that’s all.

“Charlotte?” he asked softly and she realized he was waiting for her answer.

“Yes,” she said at last. “I’ll try it. Just tell me how.”

“Move up some,” he directed. “It’s probably better if you drink from my neck.”

Charlie shifted up his big body and nuzzled her cold nose into the hollow of his throat.

“To the side.” Was it her imagination or had his voice gotten deeper and a little more ragged?

“All right.” It was too dark to see much but she managed to get settled with her mouth against the side of his neck, right where it met his broad shoulder.

“That’s good.” His voice was definitely deeper and rougher this time. “Now bite me.”

Charlie started to…then stopped. “But…I don’t have fangs like you. I’ve just got blunt human teeth—won’t that hurt? Like, a lot?”

“I don’t mind if you hurt me,” he rumbled softly. “I just want you to be warm. Drink from me, Charlotte…please.”

As he spoke, the thick ridge of his cock, still only separated from her by his thin sleep trousers, throbbed against her. Only it wasn’t pressing against her belly this time.

With a start, Charlie realized that things had changed when she shifted up his big body. The hard ridge beneath his trousers was no longer lodged against her belly—it was directly between her open pussy lips.

“Um…” Charlie didn’t know what to say. Should she address what was happening? Should she pretend nothing was wrong? She couldn’t really move or say anything without drawing attention to what was going on down below and she felt like she would die of embarrassment if they had to talk about it. Better just to ignore it until his arousal went down and stopped poking her sensitive clit.

Maybe I should just bite him and get it over with, she thought.

It seemed like the only thing to do. Opening her mouth, she latched on to the side of his strong neck. His skin was salty and spicy and delicious against her tongue but she couldn’t quite bring herself to sink her teeth into his flesh. It seemed so violent somehow. So aggressive.

“Gods…” Stavros’s voice was ragged and his cock was pressing even harder against her open pussy. “Charlotte, if you’re going to do it, please do it. Don’t worry about hurting me—I’m a Sin Eater, I’ve had pain all my life, mine and others. I can take it.”

Well, if that’s what he wants…

Summoning all her courage, she sank her teeth into the strong column of his neck. As she pierced his skin, Stavros gave a deep groan and the big body began to move beneath hers. She gasped and nearly lost her hold as his hips thrust up, rubbing the length of his ridged cock against her open pussy. And it wasn’t like she was dry either—from the moment he’d first pulled her on top of him, she’d started getting wet. Even though she hadn’t wanted to admit it or acknowledge it before, there was no denying it now. The silky sleep trousers he wore slid smoothly against her, aided by the wet heat between her legs as her juices flowed freely for him.

Then she tasted his blood. It was warm and sweet and sharp—almost alcoholic—and nothing at all like she had expected. It rushed through her like tongues of flame dancing through her veins, warming her from the inside out . In seconds she was warm to the core and yet, she didn’t want to stop biting him. Didn’t want to stop feeling him move against her.

“Gods, Charlie,” he groaned hoarsely and his big hands slid down her hips to hold her even more firmly against him. “Yes, falinda, drink from me! Take from me. Bite harder!”

Charlie did as he said, sinking her teeth even more firmly into his flesh and sucking hard to get his sweet, wild blood. Blood that made her feel hot inside in more ways than one.

Stavros continued to move against her and she was grinding back now, spreading her legs to get his rigid length deeper between her pussy lips, gripping his broad shoulders and rolling her hips to join his rhythm. Somewhere inside her a little voice was shouting that this was wrong—that she had to stop! That she was going to regret this in the morning!

Charlie didn’t listen to it—couldn’t listen to it. The big Kindred’s blood was like a drug, making her feel hot and wanton and completely out of control. And the way he was rubbing against her was sending sparks of pleasure though her entire body.

Oh God, she thought deliriously as the intense sensations built higher and higher like a fire burning out of control. Oh God, I’m going to come…going to come so hard…

At that same moment, Stavros’s long fingers tightened on her hips and he gave a hoarse groan.

“Falinda…” he growled in that deep, savage voice she scarcely recognized. “Charlie…have to warn you…if you don’t stop I’m going to…”

He’s coming too! He can’t help himself either!

Somehow the thought made her hotter than ever. Instead of loosing her hold on him, she bit harder and dug her fingers deeper into his shoulders. Pressing down hard, she bucked fiercely against him, only dimly aware that something was different…

And then she felt a surging pulse as the first spurt of hot seed raced up the length of his cock and wet her belly. The heat and intensity of his orgasm was a revelation—she’d never felt such a thing with a human man. And the power of his coming seemed to bring on her own. With a gasp, Charlie finally let go of his neck and let herself fall over the edge of pleasure. As he throbbed against her, she gasped his name and clung to him, as though she might die if she let go.

“Stavros…Stav…so good…God!” she moaned deliriously as her back arched and her entire body clenched with overwhelming sensation. “Yes, oh God, please!”

“Falinda,” he growled in return, giving her that strangely beautiful name again—the one that meant a goddess come to earth. “Need you so much…Gods!”

She didn’t know how long it lasted but at last the intense pleasure ebbed and she was left limp as a rag doll, splayed out and panting on the big Kindred’s chest.

“God,” she managed to croak at last. “That was…”

“Amazing,” he finished hoarsely for her. “I felt…everything.”

“I did too,” she confessed in a whisper.

“No, I didn’t mean…I…can’t explain.” He shifted and Charlie became aware of a slightly different sensation. The silky fabric of his sleep trousers had been replaced by something else—the smooth, hot feeling of skin against skin.

What’s going on? she wondered, still dazed from pleasure. She moved again and bit her lip at the sensation. She swore she could feel every ridge and line of the long, thick shaft pressing against her open pussy—even though he had just come, he was still hard against her. And then there was the fact that his seed hadn’t been soaked up by the fabric of his trousers—instead it was currently gluing their bellies together. Not to mention, sliding down lower to her unprotected pussy…

“Oh my God,” she said unsteadily, beginning to come back to herself. “Are you…are you naked down there?”

“I…” His voice sounded strange. “I don’t know. Lights on,” he said, raising his voice.

A bright golden glow suddenly filled the room. Looking down between them, Charlie saw that the white sleep trousers had somehow been pushed down his lean hips, leaving him bare. Not only that, but his still hard cock was directly between her spread pussy lips, making it look like he was about to enter her at any moment.

“Crap!” Heedless of the cold, Charlie sat up and scrambled off him. She was a wet mess from her navel to her thighs, his seed dripping down her belly to her open pussy, still swollen and hot from the fierce friction that had just taken place between them.

Oh my God—look at me! What have I done? A surge of shame went through her—she looked like something out of a porno film! Then she looked at Stavros.

The first thing she noticed was that his neck was a mess—there was a ragged set of teeth marks imprinted on his skin and blood everywhere, staining his broad shoulder and running down to mingle with the black curving lines of his mark.

Then she looked at his face and realized something else.

His expression was completely feral. He was scanning her body, as though taking in the aftereffects of their encounter and when he looked up at her, his gaze was like a wild animal stalking prey…or lusting after its mate. His indigo eyes were narrowed to predatory slits and his mouth was open revealing two sets of double fangs so long and sharp they made Charlotte shiver. God, even with her secret vampire fetish, those things looked scary.

But scarier still was what might happen if she didn’t wash the aftermath of their little session off right now. Already she could feel the slippery cum trickling down into her pussy, almost as if it was looking for a way in.

“I…I better get washed up,” she whispered.

“Yes.” It was a wonder he could talk with his fangs that long. “Please do. Go. I fear…fear it is not safe for you here right now.”

“Not safe for me?” Charlie began backing away from him. “What the hell are you talking about?”

His eyes flashed. “Just go. I will…explain later if I can.”

She started to scramble off the bed but he raised a hand to stop her.

“Charlotte…”

“What?” She looked at him fearfully.

“Go slowly. Don’t run, don’t rush. It…arouses my instincts.”

“I…” She wasn’t sure what to make of that but she did as he said. Slowly she backed off the bed as Stavros watched her. She got the feeling the big Kindred was holding himself back in some way. He was laying there, rigid in the bed, his focus completely trained on her but he didn’t move a muscle.

Finally she reached the bathroom and shut herself in with a sigh of relief.

Oh my God, what did I do? And what almost just happened out there?

She didn’t have any answers but she knew what was going to happen in nine months or however long it took to have a Kindred baby if she didn’t get all his seed washed out of her.

Locking the door, she turned on the shower, praying that the hot water was back. She needed a long, hot shower before she could face Stavros again. And she’d need more than that before she could look in the mirror and face herself again.

Chapter Nineteen

Gods, what have I done? And what was I about to do?

Stavros sank back on the bed, trying to control the feral urges that rose in him. Part of him was shouting that he had to go after Charlotte—that he needed to bite her and bond her to him here and now. But he knew he couldn’t.

It’s just a natural result of letting her bite me, he told himself fiercely. My body is reacting to hers, that’s all. She’s my partner in this mission, not my bride. I don’t have the right to bite her. Seven Hells, I didn’t have the right to rub against her until we both came either. What’s wrong with me? I usually have more self control than this!

But it didn’t matter how much he lectured himself, the wild part inside him that craved a mate still growled that he had to go after her.

Stavros closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths. It was like trying to hold back a tidal wave but little by little he began to get control. He willed himself to be calm, to take control of his body and urges. Slowly the fierce need to claim and breed her—to make her his—began to die down.

I cannot take a mate, I am one of the Cursed, he reminded himself. Besides, Charlotte doesn’t even like me—or any Kindred for that matter. She’s only here to help save her planet. She doesn’t belong to me—we don’t belong together.

Then why did you feel her pleasure? whispered a little voice in his head. Why for the first time in your life did you feel a positive, pleasurable physical sensation instead of only negative, painful ones?

Stav opened his eyes. It was true and he couldn’t deny it. He’d never felt anything but pain before from anyone. But just now when they were rubbing against each other, he’d felt the razor’s edge of sensation growing inside her, the build of need and desire, the sparks along her skin—everything that had pushed her over the edge—and it had pushed him over too. He had never intended to do what he did, to move against her and drive them both to orgasm. But once that loop began—her pleasure feeding his and driving him to move harder and faster to give her more and more of what she craved—he hadn’t been able to stop himself.

Why can I feel her? Is it just because I’ve never let a female drink from me before?

He didn’t know. He only knew that Charlotte Sayers was different and special somehow. And judging from the horrified look she’d given him as she backed into the fresher, she was also scared to death right now. And even if she wasn’t, she was still completely off limits and out of his reach.

That didn’t stop him from wanting her.

With a low groan, he threw an arm across his eyes. What have I done? Oh Gods, what have I done and how can I ever undo it?

* * * * *

By the time she came out of the bathroom—after a hot shower and a long soak in the tub,(the hot water was back on, thank goodness)—it seemed that Stavros was asleep. At any rate, he had his back turned to her and he was taking long, slow, regular breaths that sounded like sleep.

The room was still freezing but luckily Charlie felt toasty warm. The big Kindred hadn’t been lying—his blood did have warming properties. Yeah, but there has to be a better way to keep from freezing to death than humping your partner, whispered a sarcastic little voice in her head. Charlie pushed it away. She’d had enough guilt for one night, thank you very much.

She was still nude and wished she could look in the magic cabinet and get something else to wear to bed but two things stopped her. One, she was afraid the soft glow might wake Stavros. Two, she thought it was probable she’d just end up with another one of those furry gowns. And after the first one had attempted to squeeze her to death, she wasn’t inclined to put another one on, even to avoid sleeping naked next to her partner.

As quietly as she could, she slid into bed beside him and snuggled under the blankets, being careful not to touch his broad, bare back. But just as she was getting comfortable with her head positioned on one of the weird sausage shaped bolsters they had for pillows here, he spoke.

“I am sorry if I frightened you,” he said in a low voice. “I did not mean to. My…instincts were aroused when you bit me.”

“Are they still aroused?” Charlie asked apprehensively. “And instincts to do what exactly?”

“To take you.”

“To take me?”

“To bite you and inject you with my essence.” He turned over and she saw the gleam of his eyes in the darkness. “To breed you and bond you to me at the same time.”

“Bond me to you—you mean permanently?” Charlie felt a cold chill go down her spine. That had been what Missy was afraid of—that permanent bond which could never be severed. It was like trap you could never get out of. “I…I could never…I mean…”

The horror she felt must have been clear in her voice—or maybe he had better night vision than her and could see it on her face. At any rate, his voice was extremely cold when he answered.

“You don’t need to fear that now. I have told you I can never take a bride. And I certainly wouldn’t take one against her will—the momentary instinct I felt was simply a result of you biting me.”

“But you told me to bite you,” Charlie protested. “Why did you tell me to do that if you knew it was going to make you go all feral and bitey yourself?”

He sighed. “I didn’t know. I have never…shared blood with a female before.”

“So…were you saving yourself or something?” Charlie asked, interested despite herself.

He shook his head, his long hair rustling against the pillow.

“No—as I said, it is part of calling a bride, which, as a Cursed One, I cannot do. And also because…”

“Yes?” she prompted when he paused a long time.

“Because no female of Tranq Prime would do such a thing—bite me here, where my mark is.” One large hand came up to brush against his neck where she had bitten him. “My blood is considered unclean because of it.”

“It didn’t taste unclean. It tasted…amazing,” Charlie admitted. “Completely different from what I’d expected. It was so strong and wild and sweet—it almost made me feel drunk. I think…I’m pretty sure that’s why I acted the way I did. Which was…” She cleared her throat. “Very unprofessional of me.”

“It was my fault for offering you my blood in the first place,” he said in a low voice. “I should have guessed that it would arouse my instincts to breed and bond.”

“Well, we’ll just have to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Charlie said briskly. “We’ll forget about it and just go on with the mission.”

“Agreed,” he rumbled. “And now we should probably get some sleep. I think tomorrow if we have any time unsupervised, we should try to get to the inner circle.”

“The Circle of Oneness by the Heart? Good idea—the sooner the better.”

He nodded. “But for now we should try to get some sleep—it’s been a long night.”

“A very long night,” Charlie agreed.

He cleared his throat. “And…are you warm enough?”

“Still toasty. Your blood really did work miracles,” she said. “I guess I should be okay the rest of the time we’re here.”

“Well…” He cleared his throat. “The effects wear off, unfortunately. If you get cold in the night…”

“I’m not biting you again,” Charlie said flatly. “I think we agreed that’s a bad idea.”

“No, I was going to say if you need to draw warmth from me, you don’t need to fear. I will not…touch you inappropriately. I swear it.”

Since they had already been almost as inappropriate and unprofessional as it was possible to be that night, Charlie had to stop herself from laughing.

“Uh, yeah, thanks. I’ll keep it in mind,” she said dryly.

“Do that,” he said seriously. “Good night, Charlotte.”

Then he turned on his side, so that his broad back was facing her, and settled down to sleep.

Charlie tried to do the same but despite the physically and emotionally exhausting night she had already been through, it took a long time for sleep to claim her. When she finally drifted off, she had strange dreams. Not of the two headed monster that had haunted her dreams as a child—but of a pair of glowing red eyes, low to the ground, watching her from the corner.

Watching and waiting for something…only she didn’t know what.

Chapter Twenty

“Ahh, so now you sleep.” The unnaturally deep voice was muted as it came from the thin, liver-colored lips. Ur did not wish to wake his host—the host whose body had become a prison cell. Two was proving to be much stronger and more stubborn than he had hoped when he first invaded the Dark Kindred’s flesh. But even an opponent as formidable as Two had to sleep sometimes—or recharge, as the Enhanced Ones called it.

Two was currently in his docking station—a large upright metal shell that somewhat resembled a steel coffin stood on its end. It had plug-in ports to keep all of his many enhancements charged and functional, though he didn’t wear the exoskeleton armor most of the other Dark Kindred did.

It also gave access to all the information feeds Two was currently monitoring which was how Ur was able to view the scene through the eyes of the little spy-bot Two had somehow planted on the Kindred shuttle.

Unfortunately, he still wasn’t sure what the Sin Eater Kindred and the human female were up to. Near the end they had made some mention of “The Circle of Onenness” and “the Heart” whatever that was but no other explanation was forthcoming.

Ur had thought of alerting the authorities at the resort that they had imposters in their midst. From what he had learned as he gleaned information about J’lorgon’s Mind, the leaders there—the Joined Ones—would be extremely upset to learn that their sacred rituals were being thus profaned. The punishments for such acts were said to be severe.

But two things held him back. First, he still didn’t know what the Kindred and his female were up to—he wanted more concrete information on their plan before giving up their secret. And two, he did not wish to tip his hand too soon and let his host know what he was up to until he was ready. Right now, Two still thought that Ur was a completely helpless prisoner, unable to move or have any effect on anything outside the prison of Two’s mind.

Wouldn’t he be surprised to learn differently?

Slowly, Two’s left arm—long and ropey with muscle—lifted clear of the docking station. The left leg flexed at the knee. Then the left side of that thin, liver-colored mouth turned up in a sneering grin.

“Soon,” Ur whispered to himself. “Soon you will see, my host. Oh yes, soon you will see…”

Chapter Twenty-one

“What the hell are these things?” Charlie stared at her plate as she and Stavros sat down at their table beside Hsssthnk and Ssstha. She had thought the multicolored cha-cha balls for dinner were bad, but breakfast at the alien couples resort was even worse.

In order to get the food, they had gone through a line holding trays in a way that reminded her weirdly of a high school cafeteria. A pair of cheerful, translucent-skinned Hossans who seemed to be literally joined at the hip, had served them scoops of two different foods. One scoop consisted of long thin tubes that looked a little like penne pasta except they were purple and about twice as long. The other scoop was little orange balls the size of peas or a bit smaller.

“This is a traditional Hossan breakfast food,” Ssstha said. “Peenees and wees. We have them almost every morning here.”

“Peenees and wees? Seriously? How do you eat them?” Charlie looked down at the utensils she had been given—two pairs of long, thing tweezers that reminded her of forceps you saw surgeons using on medical dramas.

“The wees go up inside the peenees. In this manner.” Hsssthnk demonstrated, grasping a long thin purple tube with one pair of forceps and then using the other pair to delicately insert the bright orange wees into the opening at the end.

“That looks like it’s going to take forever,” Charlie objected. “But let me guess—you have to do it just exactly that way or it’ll taste like crap.”

“I do not know what ‘crap’ is,” Ssstha said. “But it will not be a pleasurable eating experience unless you prepare the peenees and wees for your partner exactly as you are supposed to.”

“Oh, so I’m making Stav’s breakfast and he’s making mine?” Charlie couldn’t say she was exactly surprised after their experience at dinner the night before.

“I’ve already made one for you. Here.” Stavros used one of his forceps to grasp the bulging purple tube he’d been working on and set it delicately down on her tray.

“Thanks. Here, let me just…” She worked at pushing the tiny orange pill things into the purple tubes. The result of her efforts wasn’t nearly as uniform and neat has his, but she picked it up and put it on his tray anyway. “There. Bon appetite.”

“Thank you.” Using his forceps, he lifted it and popped it into his mouth. Charlie did the same with the peenee-wee tube he had made for her.

She was hoping for the various different flavor combinations they’d had with the cha-cha balls but with her first bite, she was severely disappointed. The texture of the peenee was bland and chewy—like overcooked pasta. It was also cloyingly sweet with a flavor that reminded her a bit of a glazed donut. The wees, on the other hand, were juicy and crisp. They popped in her mouth when she bit into them, releasing a thin liquid that tasted like dill pickle juice.

“Ugh!” With some difficulty, Charlie finished chewing and swallowed. “Glazed donuts and dill pickles—not my favorite breakfast combination. Did a pregnant woman make this menu?”

Across from her, Stavros was chewing too. He swallowed with a look of distaste.

“I must agree. These flavors do not seem to go together at all.”

“You get used to them,” Ssstha said philosophically.

“But they’re really strange,” Charlie protested. “Don’t they have anything else? I mean, it’s not like I expect a full Southern breakfast with biscuits and sausage gravy but I wouldn’t say no to some scrambled eggs right about now. Or oatmeal. Or anything else, really.”

Hsssthnk shook his head. “The Hossans consider this fare to be health food. They claim the peenees and wees promote good digestion, mental health, and emotional truthfulness.”

“All that from a donut-tasting pasta tube filled with dill pickle peas, huh?” Charlie muttered. “Huh. Guess I’ll wait and see what lunch is like.” She pushed her tray aside.

“No, no—you have to eat it all.” Ssstha looked alarmed. “If one of the Joined Ones sees that you have not finished your morning fare there could be…trouble.”

Charlie shivered at the thought of the Joined Ones. Though she knew damn well it was irrational to fear them, she couldn’t help thinking of her childhood nightmare every time she saw one.

“Come, Charlotte, let us just make the best of it,” Stavros rumbled. He had already made her another one of the stuffed tubes and laid it gently on her tray.

“Oh…all right,” Charlie grumped, pulling her tray towards her and beginning to stuff a long purple tube with the bright orange spheres. “But I didn’t know I had to be a member of the clean plate club to stay here.”

“It helps to talk of something else to distract your mind from the odd flavor combinations,” Ssstha said, smiling at her. “So tell me—did you sleep well last night? And did you wake with grace and light?”

“Umm…” Charlie nearly choked on the peenee-wee tube she’d just shoved in her mouth. The way she had actually woken up was plastered against Stavros’s side, naked as a jay bird. Apparently during the night the effects of his blood had worn off and she had gravitated to him as a source of heat.

At first all she’d been aware of was the sensation of being deliciously warm despite the fact that it was cold outside. It reminded her of waking up in her snug down sleeping bag in the nippy fall air when Daddy had taken her on hunting trips.

Then she became aware that her “sleeping bag” was breathing.

When she opened her eyes she had been curled against his big body, her head pillowed on his chest with his long, muscular arms wrapped around her. Charlie was mortified to find that her bare breasts were pressed against his side and that she had even thrown one leg over his lean hips as though she was trying to climb him like a tree.

She would have tried to extricate herself gracefully without waking him up but Stavros was already awake. He was looking down at her with an unreadable expression on his face which somehow made her feel even more naked that she already was.

“Oh my God,” she’d groaned, scooting away from his warmth in a hurry and wrapping a sheet around herself. “I’m sorry.”

“Why should you be sorry?” he’d asked in obvious confusion. “I told you to come to me for warmth if you needed it.”

“Yes, but I didn’t mean to…to wrap myself all around you like that.” Charlie’s cheeks had been hot with embarrassment. After the events of last night, she had promised herself firmly that nothing else even remotely improper was ever going to happen between herself and her partner again. And then the very next morning, she found herself pressed against him naked, trying to climb him like a tree. Ugh, I’m an idiot! “I’m just…really sorry. It won’t happen again,” she babbled.

“I did not mind,” Stavros said quietly. “And if it does happen again, that will not bother me either.”

“Well it bothers me,” Charlie had said and then fled to the bathroom and cursed herself for a fool the entire time she was taking a shower.

She looked up from her breakfast to see Stavros staring at her, as if he too was remembering the undignified way she’d woken up all wrapped around him.

“Here.” She shoved another stuffed peenee-wee tube in his direction. “Eat up.”

He took the tube and ate it without comment then deposited one had had made for her on her tray.

Somehow the rest of breakfast passed and Charlie choked down all the donut/dill pickle flavored pasta-pea tubes. When they had all cleared their trays, she turned casually to Ssstha.

“So you guys know this place better than we do. What’s next on the agenda? Maybe some free time?”

“Meditation hour is right after the morning repasst,” Ssstha answered, her long forked tongue flickering on the last word. “It is a time for quiet reflection or visiting the cleansing pool. And after that, morning classes.”

“So where are you two taking classes?” Charlie asked. “You’re so advanced—I bet you’re already in the Circle of Oneness.”

“We have not reached that destination yet,” Hssthnk said seriously. “But we hope to soon. Right now we are still in the second circle—the Circle of Discovery.”

“And what sort of classes do they teach there?” Stavros asked. “We ask purely for information—we want to know what to expect when we reach your level.”

“Well, mostly the classes are about the discovery of your mate’s body,” Ssstha said. “So far we enjoy it very much.”

“I’m sure you do,” Charlie said, trying to smile. Crap! Discovery of your mate’s body? Like we didn’t do enough of that last night. We have to get that damn Heart thingy and get out of here ASAP before we get promoted!

“Is the second circle far from the first?” Stavros asked.

Hsssthnk shrugged, an oddly snake-like gesture.

“Not far. Simply take the middle corridor as you leave the dining area rather than the first. When you come to the purple door, you will know you have arrived.”

“Purple door—got it.” Charlie smiled. “Hopefully we’ll be seeing that purple door soon.”

“We wish you much progress in your relationship.” Ssstha touched her arm lightly and smiled. “I know some of the rules seem strict or strange to you, but being here in J’lorgon’s Mind truly has done wonders for Hsssthnk and me.”

“Indeed it has,” Hsssthnk said, rising from the table. “Come, my love,” he said to his wife. “Let us go and meditate together before our first class.” He gave her a meaningful look and Ssstha giggled.

“Yes, of course. I do think some meditation would be in order.” Then she looked at looked at Charlie and Stavros who had gotten up from the low table and were also standing. “We will see you at the midday repast.”

“Yeah, see you at lunch time.” Charlie watched them walk away, the snaky tendrils of their hair entwined. “Okay, that was weird,” she muttered to Stavros. “Is it just me or is ‘meditation’ a euphemism for doing the nasty around here?”

“I do not know what that means or what they intend to do,” Stavros said. “But for us it means an hour of unsupervised time. Let’s make the most of it.”

“Right—let’s go.”

* * * * *

They walked casually out of the dining area together, as though heading back towards their rooms. But instead of taking the corridor that led back to the individual couples chambers, they took the middle corridor as Hssthnk had directed.

Stavros kept a sharp lookout around them as they slipped down the long metal hallway but none of the Hossans who had been serving in the cafeteria were paying any attention to anyone except each other. He saw several pairs, including Nar’sa and Ta’no engaging in the light hair-tip caress they seemed to enjoy so much and a few more were simply staring soulfully into each other’s eyes.

He thought of staring into Charlotte’s deep brown eyes like that and a finger of flame licked over his spine. Gods, he hoped he didn’t have to do that. For how could he keep the way he’d been feeling about her out of his gaze if he had to lock eyes with her so intimately?

As for how she felt about him—well, there was little doubt about that. For a little while when he woke to find her snuggled against him, he’d thought she might be warming to him. Then she had woken fully and the horrified expression on her face when she found herself naked and pressed against him had made it clear she was most definitely not. She had fled into the bathroom and had been avoiding eye contact with him ever since.

Stav sighed. And why shouldn’t she want to avoid me after what I did last night? Clearly she still fears me and mistrusts my intentions.

Not that he blamed her. He distrusted his own intentions. Though he continuously told himself that Charlotte was off limits, his body refused to listen. Just being near her and smelling her sweet scent made his fangs ache. And smelling his own scent which was now overlaying hers, made his cock throb.

There was no denying it—he had marked her last night. Even though he hadn’t injected her with his essence, rubbing against her so intimately had still been a way of claiming her as his own. No male with a halfway decent sense of smell could miss it. Though she had taken a shower, his scent still lingered around her like a subtle perfume. It just—

“Hey, check it out,” Charlotte murmured, breaking his train of thought. “What do you think is going on in there?”

The curving corridor had doors with sliding panels along its surface but most of them were closed. They had just come opposite one, however, where the door appeared to be stuck. Half an inch of space remained between it and the jamb but that small amount was more than enough to see that something was going on in the room beyond.

Several couples were sitting facing each other on the blue thera-mat which had raised itself into low backed seats, the better to support them. At the instructor’s word, the male of each couple reached out to caress his female. It was difficult for Stav to see what exactly they were caressing since they were mostly alien species and often had different body parts than what he was used to. But from the soft sounds of pleasure coming from the females, it seemed to be something that gave them pleasant sensations.

“What are they doing?” Charlotte whispered, her eyes wide.

“It appears to be some kind of intimate touching,” Stav murmured. “I have no knowledge of many of these species so I cannot tell which parts are being caressed intimately. But if I had to guess, I would say secondary sexual characteristics.”

“You mean the guys are fondling their women’s breasts—right in front of God and everybody, right?” Charlotte made a face. “Okay, yet another reason why we need to get out of here.”

“To avoid letting me fondle your breasts?” Stav arched an eyebrow at her as they continued their search for the elusive purple door.

Her cheeks went pink and she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Well, not in front of everybody anyway! That kind of thing ought to be private.”

“So you would allow it if we were in private?” He knew he shouldn’t goad her but he couldn’t help wanting to see if she would give any indication of how she really felt about him.

“Of course not! Or…I guess if we were taking a class and trying not to blow our cover…” She sighed. “Look, let’s just get the Heart and get out of here—okay?”

“Agreed,” Stavros said. “In fact—”

But just then they rounded the corner and found themselves staring right at the purple door that led to the second circle. Unfortunately someone else was there before them.

“Well, well…hello again.” The Joined One turned to face them, a sharp look on both its faces. It was the same one that had tried to teach their class last night—Stavros recognized its features. Instinctively, he stepped in front of Charlotte, putting himself between her and the misshapen thing.

“Greetings, Joined One,” he said evenly. He could feel Charlotte pressed against his back, taking deep breaths and a surge of protectiveness rushed through him. That damn thing isn’t going to touch her or even get near her—not while I’m here! he swore to himself.

“Greetings…Stavros, correct?” the male face said.

“Indeed.” He inclined his head warily. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Joined One.”

“And it is a puzzle to see the two of you,” the female face spoke, frowning. “Whatever are you doing here so far from the first circle where you belong? I hope you were not spying on any of the other classes.”

“Such things are strictly forbidden,” the male face announced, scowling. “The couples who come here must know that whatever activities they engage in will be kept in strictest privacy and confidence. Anyone caught breaking the rules—”

“I assure you, we did not come here to ‘spy’ on anyone,” Stavros said. He had a twinge of unease as he remembered the strange class he and Charlotte had peeked in on. “We were simply…”

“Lost. We’re lost.” Taking a deep breath, Charlotte stepped out from behind him.

“Oh, hello Charlotte,” the male face said, smiling at her in a way Stavros didn’t care for at all. “I see you are brave enough to face us this bright morning.”

“Good morning,” she said evenly. Stav noted that her voice only trembled a little and she was holding her chin high. He felt a surge of admiration for her. She had wept in his arms like a child last night from a nightmare this thing had given her and yet today, she was speaking to it as if nothing had happened.

“So…lost, are you?” the male face asked skeptically. “But there is nothing down this corridor but the entrance to the second circle—The Circle of Discovery.” It indicated the purple door behind it.

“Oh, I…” Charlotte seemed at a loss for what to say.

“We hope you were not trying to get into an area that is expressly forbidden to you. That also, is against the rules. Not that it would do you any good.” The male face glowered at them. “Go on—press your palm to the door panel. Try to get in.”

Charlotte stepped forward bravely, not flinching though she was only inches from the Joined One, and pressed her palm to the silver rectangular panel beside the purple door.

At first nothing happened. Then her hand was outlined in red light and Stavros felt a sharp pain in his own palm he knew was coming from her.

“Hey—what in the Seven Hells did you do to her?” he demanded, turning on the Joined One in fury. How dare it hurt the female he cared for?

“Ouch!” Charlotte gasped at the same time, pulling her hand away. As she did, a deafening claxon began to sound.

Bwaaa…bwaaa…bwaaa it whooped and lights up and down the corridor began to flash. Charlotte and Stavros gasped and covered their ears. Both faces of the Joined Ones gave them a superior smile. Then it pressed its palm to the silver door panel and the alarm was silenced.

“You see? None who have not been cleared to enter the circle may access the door. So your attempt to enter where you are not allowed would have failed even if we had not caught you.”

“You didn’t have to hurt Charlotte to prove your point,” Stav said angrily. He went to her and took her hurt palm in his, examining it. “Are you all right? That was a painful burn.”

“Oh—I forgot you could feel it too.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Yes, it hurt like hell but I think I’m okay.” Her hand was a bit red but the color was fading rapidly to normal. Clearly she would bear no permanent harm. Still, the idea that the Joined One had dared to give her pain filled him with rage. He turned to it, his hands clenched into fists.

“Charlotte is mine to protect and I swear by the Goddess if you ever dare to harm so much as a hair on her head again—”

“Oh, Charlotte—Stavros, how good to see you here already. But why was the circle breach alarm sounded?”

It was Nar’sa, coming up to them with Ta’no right behind her. With an effort, Stavros swallowed his rage and forced a smile to his face.

“Hello,” he said, smiling pleasantly.

“You told them to be here?” the male face of the Joined One demanded.

“Certainly, Joined One.” Ta’no bowed to it reverently. “We sent a message to their rooms and asked that they meet us here.”

“You did? I mean—you did! Which is why we came.” Charlotte beamed at them. “And now that we’re here, just like you asked us to be,” she continued. “We’re not sure why you wanted us.”

“Yes, Nar’sa and Ta’no please explain your thinking,” the Joined One said. “I thought these two were hopelessly incompatible and needed remedial help.”

“They did at first, Joined One,” Nar’sa said, bowing. “But they made remarkable progress last night. So remarkable that Ta’no and I made the joint decision today to promote them to the Circle of Discovery.”

“You did?” Charlotte’s eyes got wide. “I mean…that is…”

“Wonderful,” Stavros finished for her quickly. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. “We are so pleased. Thank you for the faith you have placed in us.”

“We hope it will be justified,” Ta’no said, frowning slightly. “It will reflect poorly on us if it is not.”

“Ta’no is correct.” The Joined One’s faces spoke together this time “It would be a pity if he and Nar’sa were forced to take a punishment in order to relearn who they could trust and who is untrustworthy.”

Charlotte put a hand on her hip. “Ya know, for a place that promotes peace and love and togetherness, you’re pretty quick to point the finger and talk about punishing people.”

“We do what we must to ensure the continuation of J’lorgon’s Mind,” the male face said grimly.

“We must run it in a way that inspires unity and love—in a way that J’lorgon himself would have agreed with,” the female face said.

“And if we must punish interlopers or wrongdoers to make that possible, then we will do it, as distasteful or distressing as it may be to us personally,” the male face finished.

To Stavros it didn’t sound like the prospect of punishing people was either distasteful or distressing to the Joined One. In fact, from the look on their faces when Charlotte had been burned, he suspected they might rather enjoy it. But he held his tongue and kept that thought to himself—he and Charlotte were on thin ice as it was. Better not to arouse any more suspicion than they had already in the Joined One.

“Well if you feel they are ready for the second circle, then you must also feel you are ready to teach their next class,” the male face said now, speaking to Nar’sa and Ta’no.

“We do feel ready, Joined One,” Nar’sa said bowing again. “It is a simple class—guided meditation and spoken affirmation. I think Ta’no and I can manage it.”

“Indeed.” The female face of the Joined One smiled at her. “You are doing well my dear—we are quite proud of your progress. Soon, I am certain, the cleansing pool will see fit to begin your fusion of two into one.”

“We pray you are right, Joined One,” Ta’no said, bowing also. “It is our highest aspiration to achieve the same kind of union you have mastered.”

From the corner of his eye, Stavros saw Charlotte shiver but she kept her mouth closed. Clearly she was repulsed by the idea of their two counselors becoming one being, like the Joined One in front of them. He had to confess the idea didn’t appeal to him either. No matter how much you might love someone, would you really want to be physically joined to them for life?

“Well then, carry on. We will be checking on your progress with these two periodically,” the Joined One said to Nar’sa and Ta’no.

They both bowed deeply again and murmured, “Yes, Joined One.”

The Joined One turned and moved away down the corridor. Then Nar’sa turned to Stav and Charlotte. “Well, are you prepared to be granted access to the second holy circle? All you have to do is press your palm to the panel.” She tapped what seemed to be a coded sequence on the silver panel with her fingertips. “Now.”

“Um…” Charlotte stepped back, flexing the hand which had been burned by the panel earlier. Stavros could still feel the echo of her pain in his own palm.

“I will go first,” he said, stepping forward. “The Joined One made a point by burning Charlotte earlier. That is why she is reluctant.”

“Oh, I see.” Nar’sa’s eyes widened. “We wondered why the alarm was set off.”

“That’s why,” Stav said shortly. “Should I touch it now?”

“Yes, you have both been granted access,” Ta’no said. He looked at Charlotte. “We are regretful that the Joined One felt it necessary to teach you in such a fashion. We prefer not to use pain in our own lessons.”

“Well maybe that particular Joined One is a sadist,” Charlotte muttered.

“Hush.” Nar’sa looked alarmed. “You must not speak so of Ye’ha’Na’ho.”

“Who?” Stav asked, stepping closer to the panel. “Is that its name?”

“It is.” Ta’no nodded. “Ye’ha’Na’ho is ancient—they were the original disciples of J’lorgan himself. When he was first establishing this resort, they were young and unjoined—at the same stage that Nar’sa and I are now.”

“That was hundreds of cycles ago,” his mate continued for him. “After J’lorgan passed over to the other side of existence, they took over. Their wisdom is vast.”

“If you say so,” Charlotte muttered. “But I still say they’re sadists.” She looked at Stav. “Are you going to touch the panel or do you want me to?”

“I will.” Bracing himself for a burn, he pressed his palm cautiously to the panel. At first nothing happened, then his hand was outlined in green light and a small chime sounded from inside the door.

“Good, good.” Nar’sa nodded at Charlotte encouragingly. “Now you, my dear.”

“All right.” Lifting her chin, Charlotte pressed her palm fearlessly to the panel which had burned her earlier. The relief on her face when it lit green and chimed softly instead of delivering another painful burn was evident.

“Good,” Ta’no said approvingly. “And now…” He and Nar’sa both pressed their palms to the panel at the same time and the purple door slid silently open.

“Welcome,” Nar’sa said softly, “To the second circle—the Circle of Discovery.”

Chapter Twenty-two

Charlie wasn’t sure what reaction she was supposed to show. It wasn’t like the sight that greeted their eyes behind the purple door was wild or amazing or wonderful in any way. In fact, as far as she could see the long metal corridor on the other side of the door looked exactly the same as the one they were currently standing in. Except…was the lighting in the other corridor somewhat…pinker? But other than that…nothing.

“Um…wow,” she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. Stavros was more direct.

“I do not see much difference,” he said flatly. “Except that the lighting in the far corridor seems to be tinged with pink.”

“You will feel the difference,” Ta’no assured them. “Here, step across the threshold with us.”

He and Nar’sa stepped through the doorway and waited.

Charlie shot a look at the big Kindred. He shrugged. What have we got to lose? the gesture seemed to say. Charlie nodded and they stepped through together.

She waited to feel different but still…nothing.

“Uh…” She looked at Nar’sa. “I don’t feel anything at all.”

“It is subtle, my dear. We are still far from the Heart of Love but as we move closer and further into this circle, you will feel yourselves opening to each other—unfolding like flowers to reveal your most cherished secrets.”

“If you say so,” Charlie said dubiously. “So where is our class being held? The guided meditation thing.”

“Here.” Turning off the main corridor, Ta’no took them down a short hallway that ended in a dark pink doorway. It slid aside to reveal a small room with a raised platform on one end. The platform was perfectly round and about the size of a king sized bed. It had a red furry covering on it that looked to Charlie like something an old fashioned Bond villain might have in his evil sex lair.

“What’s that?” she asked, stepping into the room.

“The truth-saying couch,” Nar’sa said. “Come, you and your mate must come and sit on it together.”

Charlie looked up at Stavros who shrugged again. Together they walked over and sat on the round, furry circular platform.

“Whoa!” Charlie gasped as it rippled under them. “It’s like sitting on a water bed!”

“It’s very…strange,” Stavros agreed.

“Get settled, one on either side, facing each other,” Ta’no instructed.

Charlie did as he said, trying to arrange her white robes modestly. Not that there could be much modesty with the nearly see-through white fabric but still, she tried. Stavros, who was wearing his Pharaoh-skirt again, did the same.

“Good,” Nar’sa said. “Now look into each other’s eyes.”

Charlie felt a little uncomfortable about this. When she’d heard the class was called “guided meditation” she’d thought it was going to be a piece of cake—probably just closing their eyes and saying “Ommmm” a lot while Nar’sa talked about beautiful meadows and serene mountaintops. But now, right off the bat, they were being asked to make prolonged and intimate eye contact. That was going to be embarrassing, especially considering what had happened between herself and her partner last night.

Stavros also seemed to be made uncomfortable by the order.

“I thought this class was supposed to be about meditation,” he said, not meeting Charlie’s eyes.

“It is…in part. It is guided meditation and spoken affirmation. And what better meditation could you have than to look into the eyes of your lover and soul mate?” Nar’sa said softly. “Come now—do not be worried or ashamed. Simply look into each other’s eyes and let yourselves be.”

Charlie took a deep breath and looked up at the big Kindred who still wasn’t meeting her eyes. Okay, it’s still better than being told to touch each other in some awkward, sexual way. We can do this—we have to do this.

“C’mon, Stav,” she said, under her breath. “Look at me. We don’t want to get demoted back to the first circle, right?”

“I suppose not,” he growled. “All right.” Slowly, he raised his eyes to look into hers.

Just pretend it’s some kind of scientific exercise, Charlie told herself. Analyze the exact shade of blue of his eyes. Count the flecks of silver and look at the pattern around the edge of the iris. Look at his eyelashes—they’re so long for a man. An auburn so dark it’s almost black. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that shade before…

But though she tried to stare at Stavros as though he was nothing more than a scientific specimen, she couldn’t stop the feelings that came over her as she looked into his eyes—couldn’t keep herself detached. Looking at him like this, into those deep indigo eyes, she could feel her heartbeat quicken and her pulse begin to race. He was looking at her so intensely, as though he could see into her soul and she could smell that warm, spicy fragrance that seemed to be his natural scent rising between them. Suddenly, with no thought or planning on her part, she began to talk.

“God, your eyes are so beautiful,” she heard herself saying. “I’ve never seen a shade of blue like that—it reminds me of the color of the sky when the sun is going down and its almost completely dark but not quite. It’s—” She clapped a hand over her mouth and looked at Nar’sa. “What’s going on? I didn’t mean to say all that!”

“Your thoughts and feelings are coming to the surface—good, good.” Nar’sa nodded approvingly and Ta’no echoed her gesture. “Go on.”

“Go on?” Charlie exclaimed. “But I didn’t mean to say any of that in the first place? I—”

“Charlotte…” Stavros’s deep voice sounded strained, as though he was speaking against his will. “I find you…most beautiful. In fact, you are the most desirable female I have ever seen.”

“What? Really?” Charlie couldn’t help asking. “Or are you just saying that?”

“He is speaking only the truth from the bottom of his heart,” Nar’sa assured her. “He cannot help it.”

“But why can’t he help it?” Charlie demanded, looking at Stavros. At once she started speaking to him again. “I love how broad your shoulders are,” she heard herself saying. “And you hair is amazing—I love the way it feels between my fingers when I brush it. Not to mention your ass. Oh my God!” She turned back to Nar’sa. “Make it stop!”

“There is not stopping once you are seated together on the truth-saying couch,” Ta’no said. “You are compelled to speak the truth and tell your innermost feelings and thoughts.”

“The hell I will!” Charlie snarled. She turned back to her partner. “Stavros, we have to…have to…” She struggled with her mouth, her brain wanting to form certain words while her tongue seemed intent on saying something else entirely. “Rubbing against you last night was the most erotic experience of my life,” she said, unable to stop herself. “It was seriously the best sex I’ve had in years—the only sex I’ve had in years. I haven’t been with anyone for a long time. I don’t trust men—especially not Kindred men. Not after what happened to my…my…”

She turned away from him quickly, barely managing to stop. The blood was rushing to her cheeks and her heart was galloping. Oh my God, this is mortifying! I have to make this stop! But how? I—

“Charlotte,” he said in a low voice, drawing her eyes back to him. “I think we should…Just looking at you makes my cock hard and my fangs ache. The fact that you were willing to take blood from me and to bite me here, where my mark is most visible…” He touched the already mostly-healed bite mark on the side of his neck. “Makes me feel weak inside with need for you. I cannot…I cannot…” He tore his eyes away. “I should not be saying these things!” he growled.

“Yes, you should,” Nar’sa urged gently. “It is good to tell your mate what you truly feel for them. In fact, now it is time to move on to the spoken affirmation part of our class.”

“What?” Charlie demanded. “What have we been doing if not ‘spoken affirmation?’ I mean, what else would you call me telling Stav that I think his ass is hot?” She motioned at him, feeling her cheeks get warm at the embarrassing confession.

“I find you posterior incredibly attractive too,” he said in that low, strained voice. “I know you think your behind and hips are too large but I find them very…what is the word you humans use? Oh yes, sexy. I like the way they fill my hands when I grasp you there, as I did last night while you were drinking from me.”

“See?” Charlie demanded, looking at Nar’sa. “What’s that if not spoken admiration? I mean affirmation. Or whatever.”

“These thoughts you are speaking are simply the ones from the top of your mind,” Nar’sa said.

“Now we need you to dig deeper,” Ta’no continued for her. “You must each confess a fantasy you have had of the other.”

“A fantasy?” Charlie looked at their counselors in disbelief. But inside she was feeling just a tiny smidgen of relief. She hadn’t allowed herself to fantasize about her partner—not even a little. And now she was profoundly glad she hadn’t. But she couldn’t help wondering, had Stavros fantasized about her? Looking at him, she had a feeling she was about to find out.

The big Kindred’s jaw was clenched and his hands were balled into fists at his sides. He had a look on his face like he was fighting something—some urge—with all his might, but Charlie was certain that soon he would lose. Suddenly, she felt sorry for him.

“Stav…” She touched him lightly on the knee. “It’s all right—whatever it is, you can say it. I know this is awkward and weird but I won’t be offended.”

It was as though her words burst a dam inside him. Or maybe the impulse to speak the truth was simply too strong and he couldn’t help himself anymore.

“Charlotte,” he said in a low voice, looking into her eyes. “I fantasize about you giving yourself to me. Coming to me naked, as you were last night, and baring your neck for my fangs. I want…” He swallowed hard but seemed compelled to continue. “I want to sink my fangs into your throat and fill your sweet, wet pussy with my shaft at the same time.”

“You…you do?” Charlie’s hand crept to her throat unconsciously. She couldn’t help seeing what he was saying in her head…couldn’t help imagining herself naked and open for him, offering her throat for his bite, feeling his fangs pierce her skin as he thrust into her long and hard below.

Slowly, he nodded. “I do. I want to feel you clench around me while you come over and over and then I want to come inside you. I want to fill you with my seed as I inject my essence and make you mine.”

“Oh…God,” Charlie breathed. The hot, dirty words and the intense way he was looking at her were definitely having an effect on her body. Her nipples suddenly felt tight and achy and her pussy was hot and wet, throbbing with desire like a second heartbeat pulsing between her legs.

“And now you know what I fantasize about,” Stavros growled. “You may hate me for it if you wish but I could not help telling you.”

“I…it’s all right. Really,” she assured him. “I…you didn’t offend me.”

“Good—this is good progress.” Nar’sa’s voice made her jump. For a moment she’d forgotten that there was anyone else in the room with them. “And now Charlotte,” their councilor continued. “You may tell Stavros what you have fantasized about him.”

“Oh, I don’t fantasize—about anyone,” Charlie said quickly. “I mean, I just don’t. It’s not…not a thing I do.”

“That is all right,” Ta’no said serenely. “If you have no fantasies, then a dream will do.”

“Oh, I’ve never—” Charlie stopped short. That dream—the one she’d had her one night aboard the Mother Ship! Oh no—but that was so embarrassing! she moaned to herself. I can’t tell that out loud—I can’t. And then she heard herself begin.

* * * * *

“I had a dream about you the night before we left,” Charlotte said, looking at him. “I…an erotic dream. I didn’t plan it or wish for it…it just…just happened.”

“Of course you didn’t plan it.” Stavros could see the tightness in the set of her slender shoulders and the distress on her face. Clearly she was dreading telling him this and just as clearly she could not stop herself. He wanted to reassure her as she had reassured him. “Charlotte…Charlie,” he murmured, touching her arm lightly. “It’s all right—say what you have to. I will not be upset.”

“No, but I will,” she whispered miserably. “I can’t…I don’t want to…”

“Just say it,” Stav urged her. “Say it and get it over with.”

Charlotte nodded, biting her lip. “I…we…in the dream we were taking a class together. Just like we are now. But for some reason we had to undress each other as part of it.”

“Mmm-hmm?” Stav nodded, motioning for her to go on. Though he knew it made her uncomfortable, he couldn’t help wanting to hear what she had dreamed about it.

“And so…and so…” Charlotte took a deep breath. “And so the instructor—who was this little green man with these long antennae—told us to take off each other’s shirts. And so…so we did. I mean, I took off your shirt first and then…then you took off mine. And then he said we had to rub…” She cleared her throat self-consciously. “Rub oil all over each other’s chests.”

“And did we?” Stav asked softly.

She nodded. “I did you first and then you…you came around behind me and you cupped…cupped my breasts.”

“I did?” Stavros shifted on the truth-saying couch, trying to make more room between his legs. Hearing her say such things in her soft, sweet voice made his cock throb with need.

“You did,” Charlotte affirmed. “You…you rubbed oil all over my…my breasts and you pinched and…and twisted my nipples.”

“Did I hurt you?” Stavros asked warily. He knew some females got off on pain and he did a little himself—at least he had gotten off on the pain he felt when Charlotte bit him. But he didn’t like the idea of hurting her and not just because her pain would be his as well.

But to his relief, Charlotte was shaking her head.

“Not…not hurting me exactly. More like…teasing me. In the dream it felt really, really good.”

“And then?” he couldn’t help asking.

“Then you…you wanted to kiss me. There I mean.” She nodded down to her chest.

“I wanted to suck your nipples.” Stav could hear his voice dipping down to a low, sexual growl but he couldn’t help it. The idea of taking the tight pink points he could see pressing against the thin fabric of her robe into his mouth made his cock ache fiercely.

She nodded. “At first I…I wasn’t sure. But the instructor told me to let you do it. So you did. And I…” She took a breath. “I could feel your…your fangs as you did it, as you sucked me. They were so sharp and long but they never even scratched me.”

“You must have been relieved,” Stavros said neutrally. He had heard from other Blood Kindred that human women often feared their fangs. It wasn’t surprising, really. But to his surprise, Charlotte was shaking her head.

“No, I…I was disappointed.” She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. “I wanted you to bite me.”

Stav’s heart seemed to stop for a moment in his chest. “You…wanted me to?”

She nodded. “Yes, but you didn’t. Instead the instructor said it was time to finish undressing each other. And so I took off your trousers and you …you took off my slacks but not my panties.”

“Why didn’t I take them off?” he growled softly.

“Because they were the kind that weren’t supposed to come off. Don’t ask me why…” She waved one hand in a gesture of dismissal. “It was a dream, remember?”

“So what happened next in your dream?” he asked.

Charlie frowned. “I’m trying to think… Oh—then the panties started getting too tight—they were squeezing me.”

“Just like your night dress last night,” Stav exclaimed.

She nodded. “Weird, huh? You even…” She blushed. “Even bit them off with your fangs like you did last night.”

“Hmm…” Stavros nodded. He well remembered getting her out of the wet gown, how he had ripped it open and the soft globes of her breasts had come tumbling out. He had felt those soft mounds against his chest several times now but he had yet to cup them in his hands or suck the sweet, pink tips into his mouth. Gods, how he wanted to taste her there! The only other place he would rather taste was her pussy—the source of the sweet honey she’d rubbed all over his shaft last night as she bit him. He looked at Charlotte. “Then what happened?” he asked in a soft growl.

“Then you…” She bit her lip and looked down at her hands which were clenched in her lap. “You said you wanted to see how hot and wet my pussy was,” she said in a rush.

“Gods…” Stav felt his entire body clench with longing. “And did I?”

She nodded. “You put your fingers…”

“I penetrated you? Put my fingers deep in your pussy?” he asked, seeing that she was having a hard time finishing.

“Yes.” Charlotte’s cheeks were bright pink now, a testament to her embarrassment. “And you…you fucked me with them. It felt…” She blushed even harder. “It was really good.”

“Gods,” he groaned hoarsely again, flexing his hand into a fist. He could just imagine slipping his fingers deep into her sweet, wet channel, pressing until he felt the end, feeling her clench around him as she called his name and begged him to fuck her deeper, harder, faster… But as embarrassing as Charlotte clearly found this admission to be, there was clearly more to come. He could see it on her face. “And then?” he asked.

“And that…that was it.” Charlie lifted her chin but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Then I woke up.”

“No you didn’t,” Stav said softly. “I can see it in your eyes, Charlotte—the dream didn’t end there. What happened next?”

“I…I…” She made as if to get off the couch but clearly she couldn’t. “Hey—why am I stuck here?” she demanded.

“The truth-saying couch senses what your mate has sensed,” Nar’sa answered softly. “That there is more to your tale. Until you tell it all, you will be unable to leave the couch.”

“But I don’t want to,” Charlie protested, looking nearly panicked. “I mean…I can’t…I just can’t.”

“You’ll have to—the couch will make you,” Stav told her quietly. “It is working on you now—I can see it on your face.”

“I…I won’t…” She shook her head firmly and bit her lip. He felt a sharp pain go through his own lower lip and a thin trickle of blood ran down her chin.

“Charlotte…” He looked at her worriedly. What admission could be so bad that she would rather hurt herself than let it out? “Please,” he murmured, brushing her hot cheek lightly with his knuckles. “Please don’t hurt yourself anymore. Just tell me.”

Plainly Charlotte couldn’t hold out against the compulsion of the truth-saying couch much longer. “I…I…” Her mouth worked helplessly. “All right but it’s…really embarrassing and you probably won’t like it.”

“Just tell me,” Stav urged again. “What did I do next in your dream?”

“I…you…you wanted to kiss me…to taste me. Down there.” She nodded between her legs, her cheeks flaming red, plainly miserable at the embarrassing confession. “I wasn’t sure. That’s not…something I’ve ever been able to enjoy much. Or that any guy I’ve ever been with has ever enjoyed doing. But you wanted to do it and you were already on your knees in front of me and the instructor was telling me to open for you and I couldn’t help it,” she finished in a rush. “Oh, God…” She buried her face in her hands. “I can’t believe I just told you that.”

Stavros couldn’t believe it either. “That’s what you were so embarrassed to tell me?” he asked incredulously.

“Human guys…some human guys don’t like to do that,” she said defensively. “I don’t know what Kindred like—I don’t care what Kindred like.” Her eyes flashed defiantly. “But it’s not something I’ve ever dreamed of before and I don’t know why I dreamed it when I dreamed of you. It’s just…it’s embarrassing.”

“I do not know why human males would not want to taste their females,” Stav said seriously. “But Kindred do not just like it—with us it is a need.”

“A what?” She looked at him uncertainly.

“A need,” he repeated. “We need to taste our females between their legs—need to mark their pussy with our scent. Need to give them pleasure and make them come…”

“God!” He had been holding her gaze with his as he spoke but now Charlotte tore her eyes away, her cheeks flaming. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this.”

“I just want you to know you don’t have to be embarrassed to tell me your dream,” he murmured. “Tell me, Charlotte, in your dream did you enjoy being tasted?”

Slowly, she nodded. “I…I did. I knew I shouldn’t but it made me so…”

“Aroused?” he finished for her gently.

“Yes.” She looked away. “But it was just a dream. I mean I would never…”

“I would.” Lifting her chin gently, he looked at her until she reluctantly met his eyes again. “It would be my very great pleasure to taste your pussy, Charlotte,” he murmured. “But for now, I will settle for this.”

Tilting her chin a little to one side, he licked up the salty droplets of blood that had slipped down her chin when she bit herself. Then he tenderly bathed her cut lip with his tongue, healing her with the essence his body naturally produced as soon as he got near her.

When he pulled back, Charlotte was looking at him with an uncertain expression on her face.

“So…” Stav said softly. “That was the end of your dream? That I tasted you and made you come with my tongue?”

But to his surprise, she shook her head again.

“No. Because you didn’t make me come—not with…with your tongue, anyway.”

“Then how?” he asked, intrigued all over again.

“You stopped licking me,” Charlotte said softly. “And then you pulled back and your fangs…”

“Yes?” His voice was getting deep and growly again but he couldn’t help it.

“They were so long and sharp. Like they were last night after we…after,” she murmured. “And you said…you said you were going to bite me.”

“What did you say?” Stav growled. His cock was throbbing and his fangs were aching. His whole body felt tight as a wire. Gods, if she said what he thought she might say…what he hoped she would say…

“I told you to do it.” The words came from her in a rush. Then she slowed down and looked at him. “No, I…I begged you to.” Her eyes were wide and uncertain as she admitted it. “I wanted to feel those long, sharp fangs in me so badly. I…” She looked away, clearly embarrassed. “I don’t know why. It was only a dream. But when you bit me…”

“Yes?” Stavros was holding himself rigid now. It was all he could do to keep from reaching across the truth-saying couch and dragging her to him. He wanted to crush her in his arms and kiss her ruthlessly, wanted to bare the slender column of her throat and sink his fangs deep in her flesh, injecting his essence until she moaned his name and begged for more.

“When you bit me,” she repeated softly. “I…I came. So hard.” She sighed and looked away. “Then I woke up.”

“Gods!” Finding he could move at last, Stavros got off the couch and paced to the other side of the room. He didn’t trust himself near her right now. Not after she’d admitted to wanting his bite. He had never desired a female so badly before, never wanted to sink his fangs into willing flesh and inject his essence until he met Charlotte. Now it was all he could think about even though he knew it was wrong.

“Stavros?” Nar’sa said softly, making him jerk. Their counselors had been standing unobtrusively to one side, observing so silently he had completely forgotten they were there.

“Yes?” His voice came out a ragged growl and he had to clear his throat and try again. “Yes?” he asked in a slightly more normal tone.

“How does Charlotte’s dream make you feel?” she asked softly. “You seem greatly affected—are you troubled by her admissions?”

“No, I…” He ran a hand through his hair. “Yes,” he admitted at last. “Both troubled and aroused. I never thought to find a female who would wish for my bite.”

“As Charlotte never thought to find a male who desired to taste her,” Ta’no said softly.

“Do you see the good that comes of speaking your desires aloud?” he and Nar’sa asked together.

“I…suppose.” Stavros cleared his throat. “At least now we have put our cards on the table, as I believe the expression goes. We now know where we stand.”

“We’ve also said things we can’t unsay,” Charlotte said quietly from the truth-saying couch. “Embarrassing things. Private things.”

“I told you that you would be speaking your secrets to each other,” Nar’sa reminded her. “This is good and proper—you should have no secrets from your mate.”

“Yeah, right.” Charlotte looked away, clearly unhappy.

“We shall give you a little time to consider these revelations,” Ta’no said quietly. “Come, my mate.” He and Nar’sa turned as one and left the little room, leaving the two of them alone.

* * * * *

“Charlotte…” Stavros came to her and sat beside her on the round couch. Charlie scooted over, putting some room between them. To her relief, he didn’t follow.

“What?” She cast a quick glance in his direction.

“I am sorry,” he said softly. “Sorry if the things we said embarrassed or pained you. But pleased believe I don’t think any less of you for saying them.”

“Well maybe I think less of myself.” She looked down at her hands. The Kindred are the enemy. Stavros is the enemy, she told herself over and over. But somehow she was having a hard time making herself believe it. “I can’t believe I said all those things,” she muttered aloud.

“I said some fairly embarrassing things myself,” Stavros reminded her.

“Yeah, right,” Charlie said flatly. “Like your little fantasy was more embarrassing than my big loooong dream. I’ve never admitting to wanting…the things I admitted to wanting to you. Not to anyone.”

“And do you want them?” he asked softly, his voice dipping down to that deeper, growling register that sent a shiver up her spine. “Do you want me to taste you—to pleasure you with my mouth and make you come with my tongue?”

“I shouldn’t want it.” Charlie looked away from him. “You’re my partner. That’s all.”

“But you do want it.” He lifted her hand and kissed the very center of her palm very gently. His whiskers were scratchy and rough but his lips were soft and hot against her flesh. “And I want to give it to you.”

“You shouldn’t…” Charlie wanted to pull her hand away from him but somehow she couldn’t. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes again she found herself getting lost in that indigo gaze that made her feel naked. Naked and hot.

“No, I shouldn’t. But I do.” He kissed her palm again. “Gods, Charlotte, I truly do want to taste you.”

“And so you shall.”

They both jerked and gave exclamations of surprise.

“What the hell?” Charlie looked up to see Nar’sa and Ta’no standing in the doorway once more.

“What are you doing there? I thought our class was over.” Stavros looked at least as pissed off as Charlie felt.

“It is not concluded until you have a private session—which you have just done.” Ta’no said.

“And now we must assign your home studies for tonight,” Nar’sa said.

“Home studies? You mean homework?” Charlie demanded. “I hope there isn’t going to be homework for every class.”

“There is no other class—not for the two of you. Not today,” Ta’no said.

“You have only to go back to your rooms and act out Charlotte’s dream,” Nar’sa said.

“We have to what?” Charlie’s heart, which had finally begun to slow down, began racing again. “You can’t be serious!”

“Of course we are serious,” Ta’no said strictly. “You must act out every part of your dream together.”

“What if we don’t want to?” she countered.

“If you want to move on to the third and holiest of circles, you will,” Nar’sa answered serenely. “Tomorrow you will be brought back here to sit on the truth-saying couch again. If you can truthfully report that you have acted out each aspect of the dream, you will be promoted to the Circle of Oneness. If not…”

“You will be demoted to the first circle,” Ta’no finished for her. “And those who have been demoted are seldom ever promoted again. At least, not for weeks or even solar months.”

“This is blackmail,” Charlie said, her mouth dry. “You’re forcing us to do this.”

“No one is forcing you to do anything you do not want to do,” Nar’sa said quietly. “I heard the words you spoke, Charlotte. You told Stavros you shouldn’t want him to touch and taste you. Not that you didn’t.”

“So I’m going to be forced to do sexual things I don’t want to do because I made a bad word choice? I’m getting screwed over—literally—because of semantics?” Charlie demanded.

Ta’no frowned. “I do not see why you are protesting so much, Charlotte. You and your mate came here to learn how to love and cherish each other—the physical aspect of love is part of that. Why are you resisting so much?”

“I…because I…” Charlie groped for the right words. How could she say this without blowing her cover? “Because I don’t…I’m not ready,” she said at last.

“Your mind may not be ready but your body certainly is,” Nar’sa told her gently. “Listen to your body, Charlotte. It craves your mate’s touch every bit as much as he craves yours.”

Charlie didn’t know what to say. Her eyes flicked up to Stavros who said nothing but held her gaze until she was forced to look down again, her heart racing.

I shouldn’t want to do this! Think of Missy—of what she went through! But somehow her sister’s face kept getting replaced with Stavros’. Charlie wished savagely that she could stop thinking of him. In fact, she would rather get a rock and bash her skull in than think of her damn, sexy, off-limits partner one more second.

Too bad there were no rocks handy.

“Well,” Nar’sa said at last, breaking the excruciating silence. “You have your assignment. You have until tomorrow morning to complete it. Farewell.” She and Ta’no turned as one and swept silently out of the room, leaving Charlie sitting by her partner with no idea in hell of how they were supposed to do this.

Chapter Twenty-three

“What are we going to do?” Charlotte was still looking down at her hands, refusing to meet his eyes. “How are we going to get around this?”

Stav sighed heavily. He knew her attitude was right and proper—they were, after all, only partners and nothing more. He absolutely should not want to act out her erotic dream with her. But he couldn’t help himself—somehow the little human female had gotten under his skin and now he couldn’t stop wanting her. And he couldn’t help wishing that she wanted him to.

“We can’t,” he said in a low voice, knowing it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “We cannot get out of this.”

“We have to.” She looked at him at last, her eyes wide. “We can’t just…do all that crazy stuff I dreamed. But then…” She put her head in her hands. “If we don’t, how will we ever get to the next circle? How will we ever get the Heart?”

“We won’t,” Stavros said. “The damn door is alarmed.”

“You don’t have to remind me.” She flexed the hand that had been burned by the panel. “So then what—?”

“What if we just do it?” Stav asked her. “Do our homework, as you called it.”

“What? No, I—”

“Hear me out.” He put up a hand to stop her protests. “We have a saying on my planet—‘You may obey the letter of the law while ignoring its spirit.’”

“Meaning?” She arched an eyebrow at him.

“Just because we act out your dream, doesn’t mean it has to get…salacious.”

She looked at him skeptically. “So you’re saying we can act out my very sexual dream without getting sexual?”

“I know it sounds strange but it is possible,” Stav insisted. “As you said, we are partners, nothing more. And as partners, we just have to keep things…professional.”

“I don’t see how I can stay professional while you’re, uh, biting me and doing…other things.” She blushed, her cheeks going pink.

“You have to hold yourself apart mentally no matter what you are doing physically. It can be done,” he insisted. “Look.” Without asking her permission, he reached out and cupped her right breast in his hand. She gasped and he could feel her nipple tighten into a hard little point at the center of his palm but he made no move to withdraw his hand.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, looking down at his hand and then back to his face.

“Touching you. As I did in your dream.” Stavros kept his voice even and calm, even slightly bored though in truth, he was feeling anything but. Gods, she was so soft…so yielding in his hand. But he couldn’t think about that right now.

“All right…” Charlotte made no move to withdraw her breast from his hand but she looked at him uncertainly. “And your point is?”

“That we can do everything you dreamed without allowing ourselves to get emotionally involved,” Stav said. Liar whispered a little voice in his head. Your emotions are already involved. He ignored it and went on.

“So you think you can…can suck my nipples and touch me and…” Her cheeks were getting redder and redder as she spoke but she forced herself to go on. “And taste me and bite me and not…not feel a thing?”

“I can keep a professional demeanor and countenance if you can,” Stav said evenly. “Then we can sit on this couch tomorrow and say truthfully that we did everything in your dream.”

“But we will only have been going through the motions, so to speak. Right?” she asked. “Like…you’ll put your hands on my breasts once, pinch my nipples once, kiss my…kiss me once. And so on and so forth.”

He nodded. “The only problem I foresee is the biting.”

“Why is that the only problem? I would think…” She cleared her throat. “Other things would worry you more.”

“When a Blood Kindred bites a female and injects a large amount of his essence he forms a partial bond with her,” he explained, trying to keep his voice dry and impersonal. “And I have sworn never to bond a female to me in any way.”

“What does a partial bond even do?” she wanted to know.

“I don’t really know. It’s not permanent or long lasting, I don’t think—not for my kind. I think the main thing that would happen is that my body would yearn to form a permanent bond.”

“You mean you might get all feral and scary like you were last night after we, uh…you know?”

He nodded. “But I can control myself. I just didn’t know how you felt about having even a temporary tie with me.”

Charlotte took a deep breath. “I suppose I’m okay with it as long as it doesn’t last forever. Don’t get me wrong, Stav, I like you. But…you’re Kindred. And I have my reasons for disliking your people. I wouldn’t want to be tied to any Kindred for life—not even you.”

He nodded gravely. “I respect your honesty. You will not need to be tied to me for long. I believe that after a few days if we do not complete the bond, my essence will fade from your system and you will be free of me once more.”

“All right then.” Charlotte took a deep breath. “We’ll do it. We’ll obey the letter of the law while ignoring its spirit.”

“Agreed.” He nodded.

“So let’s get out of here. And Stav…”

“Yes?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“You can take your hand off my breast now.”

“Oh!” He pulled back quickly, as though her soft flesh had stung him. “Forgive me.”

“That’s all right.” She gave him a small, rueful smile. “The fact that we were able to carry on a rational conversation while you were, uh, touching me intimately, proves this can work—don’t you think?”

“Of course it can,” he agreed. But he wondered—would he really be able to give his body while withholding his heart?

It was a moot question. Deep inside he knew his heart was already given. But Charlotte must never know that. No matter what happened, he would never tell her.

* * * * *

Dinner that night was a quiet affair. They had spent the rest of the day wandering around the resort, trying to find out as much as they could while looking innocently lost. They had even dared to go down the third hallway which led to the Circle of Oneness. What they had found there had worried Charlie. The door was deep crimson and surrounded by blinking white lights. The door panel to one side was similarly outlined and it seemed to require a retinal scan as well as a handprint to enter.

She could just imagine what would happen if someone without access tried to get in that door. Probably they would be shocked, stung, burned, and have their eye poked out! Clearly the only way they were going to get access to the Circle of Oneness was by doing their “homework,” a prospect which had her in a cold sweat.

The only other thing they found of interest in their meandering reconnaissance mission was a long, dark corridor on the outer perimeter of the resort’s web of interconnected rooms and areas. It was reached by going through a maze of blue halls very like the pink seashell halls in the Female Cleansing Area. Charlotte was afraid they wouldn’t be able to find their way out again but Stavros seemed to have a compass in his head. He led them back through the maze easily but not before they stood shoulder to shoulder and stared uneasily down the long, dark corridor.

“What is this place?” Charlie whispered uncertainly. “It looks more like a tunnel than a hallway. Where does it lead to?”

“I don’t know.” Stavros had frowned. “And I don’t think I want to find out.”

“What’s the deal with the lighting?” Charlie had dared to step close enough to poke her head into the eerie hallway. “It looks like black light in a haunted house or something. Everything’s all spooky and dim.”

“But it’s not just the way it looks—it is the way it feels.” Stavros had taken a deep breath, his broad chest expanding and stepped back about a foot. “Do you feel it?”

Charlie took a breath too, inhaling the strange, cold air that seemed to be blowing from the hallway.

“It’s like…breathing fear.” She looked at him. “Fear and sorrow and…and regret.” She frowned—hadn’t Ssstha said something about regret or regrets during their first meal together? She couldn’t quite remember. “Do you feel it too or am I crazy?” she asked Stavros.

“Your sanity is in no way impaired,” he rumbled. “I feel it. It makes me want to get away from this place as fast as possible and never come back.”

“I’m with you,” Charlie said. “But what use could the Hossans have for this place? This resort is supposed to be all about peace and love and harmony—what are they doing with a place like that?”

Stavros had shrugged. “Who knows? You yourself pointed out that the Joined One we met is a sadist. Possibly it or they take out their baser urges here, on those they deem worthy of punishment.”

Charlie had shivered. “Ugh! Don’t talk about that thing—it gives me the creeps!”

“I guessed as much after your nightmare.” Stavros looked at her speculatively. “But why? Does it remind you of something?”

Charlie had looked at him uncertainly. Should she tell him? She had sworn to herself early in this mission to keep her childhood and Missy and everything that had happened to her sister a secret. It was better that way—easier than digging up the old pain. But maybe it couldn’t hurt to explain just a little…

“I…saw a scary movie. At a slumber party I went to when I was eight,” she said reluctantly.

Stavros had frowned. “A…slumber party?”

“A bunch of kids—usually girls—get together at one house and watch movies and eat pizza and popcorn and talk about boys and paint each other’s toenails…” She shrugged. “Things like that.”

Stavros looked mystified. “I am trying to understand. I can see why you would gather together to eat and watch entertainment vids. But…why did you paint each other’s toes? What colors did you paint them? Is this an Earth female custom?”

“Sort of and any color you want.” Charlie waved a hand dismissively. “Look, it’s a girl thing, you wouldn’t understand even if you were human so don’t worry about it. The point is, we watched this horror flick called The Beast from Hell. It was about a mutated monster with two heads. It scared me so bad I had to call my mom to come pick me up.” She shook her head. “It was four o’clock in the morning and boy, she was not happy with me. Anyway, my sister Missy had to sleep with me for months afterwards because I was sure that two headed thing was in my closet, just waiting to jump out and get me the minute I went to bed.”

“You kept calling for Missy last night,” Stavros murmured. “I wondered who she was. Does she still live on Earth?”

“No.” Charlie bit her lip, looking away. “She’s gone. She…she died.”

“I am sorry.” Stav’s deep voice was infinitely gentle but Charlie didn’t want to hear it. She turned away, not wanting to remember her sister’s sad fate—let alone share it with a member of the race who had caused her death.

“Charlotte?” the big Kindred murmured, putting a hand on her arm.

Charlie had flinched away. “Don’t. I don’t want to talk about it. Not with you.”

“All right. Sorry.” He had taken a deep breath. “Come on—let’s get away from this place. I don’t like the air coming from the dark corridor.”

Charlie had agreed and they had left, Stavros leading them unerringly through the maze of blue hallways and back to the main corridor once more.

Now, as they sat at dinner beside Ssstha and Hsssthnk she mulled the episode over in her mind. What was down that long dark spooky hallway? And what were the Hossans doing there?

“We were promoted to the Circle of Oneness today,” Ssstha said, breaking her concentration. “It was most gratifying.”

“That’s amazing, congratulations!” Charlie smiled at her friend. “So how was it? What did you have to do? What classes did you take?”

Hsssthnk gave a hissing laugh. “That is a lot of questions.” He turned to Stavros. “Your female is most eager to be promoted as well, I take it?”

“We both are,” Stav replied smoothly. “But I too would know what is involved with setting foot in the Circle of Oneness.”

“Well, first you must be triple scanned in order to even get through the doorway,” Ssstha began.

“Oh? It’s that hard to get in?” Charlie replied innocently. Stavros caught her eye and she nodded slightly at him. As they had thought, getting through the door to the last circle was going to be impossible unless they did their “homework.”

“It certainly is! And I heard the Joined One who scanned us in say that anyone unauthorized to go in would be seized and punished on the spot!”

“That seems kind of harsh,” Charlie remarked, frowning.

“It does,” Hsssthnk acknowledged. But such measures are necessary because in the center of the Circle of Oneness is the Heart of Love. It is the most holy relic in the entire resort.”

“What is the Heart of Love, anyway?” Charlie put her chin in her hand and frowned. “I mean did you actually get to see it?”

“Oh no, certainly not!” Ssstha sounded shocked. “It is at the center of the circle. Only the Joined Ones are allowed to go in to tend it.”

“They tend it, you say?” Stavros said. “So…it is a kind of plant?”

Hsssthnk shrugged. “As to that—who can say? Some say it is one thing, some say another. All we know is that its holy glow enshrines the entire Circle of Oneness in peace and harmony and love.”

“You feel different the moment you are near it.” Ssstha smiled dreamily. “It is…such a peaceful sensation. For the first time in your life you feel whole.”

“Sounds…amazing.” Charlie tried to smile but inside she was wondering how anyone could swallow such a load of bull. “So are the two of you going back for more classes tonight?”

“No, tonight we are to meditate together on our coming oneness,” Hsssthnk said. “And tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow we will complete it.” Ssstha smiled beatifically. “It will be lovely. I cannot wait.”

“And I cannot wait to begin our meditation, my love.” Hsssthnk gave her a half lidded smile and let his long, forked tongue run out to brush her cheek suggestively. “Last meal is over and I hunger for…other things besides food. Shall we go?”

“Indeed we should.” Her eyes never leaving her mate’s face, Ssstha rose and they left the table without another word to anyone but each other.

“Well, those two are just all snout-to-tail,” Charlie remarked tartly.

“They are what?” Stav asked blankly.

“You know—like two dogs that can’t leave each other alone.” She sighed and looked around at all the other couples rising from their tables. “Never mind. I guess that’s our cue to go too, huh?”

He nodded. “I suppose so.” Rising, he held out a hand to help her up. “Come, let’s go to our rooms.”

“Homework time,” Charlie muttered nervously and followed him out of the dining area.

Chapter Twenty-four

Their rooms were still freezing and Charlotte started shivering the moment they walked through the door with its shifting patterns of green.

Stav frowned. “This isn’t going to work. We cannot act out what you dreamed if you’re on the edge of freezing to death.”

“Well I doubt we can get hold of Nar’sa and Ta’no now to complain,” she remarked, rubbing her arms with her hands to try and keep warm. “They’re probably someplace ‘meditating’ like everyone else in this place.”

“We don’t need them to warm up,” Stavros said decisively. “Come here.”

He held out a hand to her but she dodged away. “What…what are you going to do? I can’t bite you again. Especially not when you’re about to bite me. I think we both know how that would turn out.”

Stavros closed his eyes briefly. Indeed, he could well imagine the scene that would follow if Charlotte bit him and then he bit her. The connection between them would be too strong—the instinct to breed her and bond her to him would be insurmountable. No, as much as he loved the feel of her little white teeth piercing his throat, he had to find another way to give her blood.

“You don’t have to bite me. Here,” he said. Lifting his wrist to his mouth, he sliced through the bracelet of blue veins that crossed the underside neatly with his fangs. Then he held it to Charlotte’s mouth. “Drink.”

She looked at him uncertainly.

“You’re sure? You don’t mind?”

“Do I mind giving you blood?” He could scarcely believe she would ask it.

“Well…yes. Do you?” She still seemed hesitant.

“Charlotte,” he said softly. “I find you devastatingly attractive. And as you know, sharing blood for my people is very erotic. You might as well ask if I would mind kissing you or caressing your naked body.”

“Which you’re going to be doing shortly,” she reminded him, frowning. “Try to keep it professional, okay?”

Stav shrugged. “You asked. I was simply trying to reassure you that I do not mind you drinking of me. But if you do not hurry, the wound will close. Blood Kindred are fast healers.”

“Yes, you are.” She was eyeing the bite mark she’d made on his neck which was already mostly healed. “All right.” Gripping his arm in both hands, she brought the wounded wrist to her mouth and latched on, sucking hard—as hard as she had the night before.

A deep, painful pleasure ran through Stavros and it felt as if every muscle in his body clenched. He hissed in a breath and had to look away. Because Gods, if he watched her drinking from him, taking blood as only his rightful mate should, he would want to make her his rightful mate. Would want to bond her to him and he had to avoid that at all costs.

At last Charlotte withdrew with a final swipe of her tongue and he dared to look at her again.

“Why does it taste so good?” she asked softly, looking up at him. “It doesn’t taste anything like blood at all. It’s…amazing. Delicious.”

“I don’t know. Maybe because our bodies are compatible.” He shrugged. “Are you warmer now?”

“Toasty.” She took a deep breath of the chilly air but she had stopped shivering. “That really is amazing, you know?”

“It serves its purpose.” Stavros took her by the hand. “Come, let’s go into the sleeping chamber. The soonest begun, the soonest ended.”

He didn’t want to linger over this experience, didn’t want to draw it out because honestly, he didn’t trust himself enough to do that. As much as he wished he could savor this one and only time he would be able to touch Charlotte intimately, he knew it would be unwise. It would be too easy to get lost and want to bond her to him forever. Better to stay detached, impersonal…professional as he had assured her he would. It would be too hard to let go otherwise.

But Charlotte was holding back, a look of uncertainty and almost fear in her eyes.

“Stav, I don’t know…”

The fear in those deep brown eyes touched something inside him. He turned towards her and cupped her cheek gently.

“Charlotte? Are you well?”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” She cleared her throat and looked away. “Just…nervous. I mean, I know we said it would be professional but that doesn’t mean it has to be I don’t know—completely impersonal.” She shook her head. “Look, just ignore me. I’m not making any sense.”

“Yes, you are. You’re feeling rushed and uncertain—that’s my fault. Forgive me.” He stroked a strand of hair out of her eyes. “We can do this as fast or as slow as you want and still maintain our professionalism.”

“Of course.” Charlotte seemed relieved. “Of course we can. I mean, we’re both adults, right?”

“We are.” Stavros nodded gravely. “And as consenting adults, we are well able to make our own decisions and do what we like.”

“Good.” She lifted her chin. “Then…I’d like to do this here—on the couch. It feels…somehow it feels less risky that way. Is that okay?”

“It is perfectly fine with me,” Stav assured her. “So how do you wish to begin?”

“Well…” She sat on the couch and looked at him uncertainly. “If we really are acting out my dream, I guess we both need to be topless. And since you’re already wearing your Pharaoh outfit…”

“My what?” He shook his head. “Never mind. You mean that since I am already bare chested, it is time for me to make you so as well.”

“Yes. I…I guess so.”

“That is easily done.” Stav sat beside her and reached for the front of her robe. “May I?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

Silently, she nodded.

“All right.” Pulling apart the magnetic tabs he opened the top of her robe and helped her shrug it off her shoulders.

Though he had seen her naked the night before and the novice robes left little to the imagination, seeing her bare breasts in the soft golden glows of the overhead lighting still took his breath away. They were so full, tipped with innocent pink buds that seemed to beg to be plucked and caressed, nipped and sucked. And tonight for the first and last time he would be able to do all that. All that and more…

“Beautiful,” he murmured softly. “I know it’s not professional to say so but Gods, Charlotte, you’re so lovely it makes me ache to look at you.”

“Oh…” She bit her lip uncertainly. “I…thank you, I guess,” she whispered. “But you’re right about one thing—it’s not professional. We need to try and keep our minds detached, right?”

“Exactly.” Taking a deep breath, Stavros made an effort to master himself. “Very well then, what’s next? I believe you said something about oils?”

“Right. Give me just a minute—I think I saw some in the bathroom.” She got up quickly and went through the sleeping chamber into the fresher. She was gone for some moments and when she came back, she was holding a small bottle of pinkish oil. “Here we go—this should do. It says ‘meditation oil’ on the side and I think we know what that means.”

Stav tried not to smile. “Exactly. So am I to rub you with it?”

“Actually, in the dream, I used the oil on you first. All right?”

“If you like.” He sat still while she rubbed some oil on her hands and began stroking his chest and abs with it. The feel of her little hands on his bare skin was incredibly stimulating. So much so that he had to close his eyes and not watch while she did it.

Then she warmed more oil behind her hands and came around to get behind him. Though he tried not to, Stavros stiffened instinctively when she touched his shoulders, coming in contact with his mark.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Her voice was low and soothing. “I’m sorry, would you rather I didn’t touch you here?”

Stav shook his head, barely able to answer. “If…If you like, I would be pleased to allow your touch. I am just…not used to being touched there as you know.”

“Because the women of your home planet are superstitious idiots, apparently,” Charlotte grumbled. “Here, scoot up some so I can get to you.”

She was sitting on the arm of the couch behind him now and Stav moved up obligingly so she had room to put her feet down on the cushions and could reach him more easily.

“It’s actually really beautiful, you know,” she murmured, tracing patterns on his back. “The way it shimmers and seems to change colors…I’ve never seen a tattoo like it.”

“That is because it isn’t a tattoo. It’s a parasite. One that will kill me soon enough.” He knew his voice was coming out harsh and cold but he couldn’t help it. The mark of the Cursed had changed and limited his life in ways too painful to think about and he did not consider it in any way beautiful.

Charlotte’s hands stilled on his back.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I…had no idea. What do you mean it’s going to kill you?”

“Never mind. I was being…overly dramatic.” He sighed.

“But I thought it was an actual curse—like something supernatural.”

“It’s an air born organism from Tranq Prime that invades when a child is young and their immune system is not yet fully developed.” Stavros tried to keep his voice dry as though he were giving a lecture instead of talking about the thing that would one day kill him. “It only takes male hosts—Blood Kindred—and those with hair my color are the most genetically susceptible. It replicates in the nervous system, making the host sensitive to the pain of others. It’s not catching and cannot be transmitted to any other person in any way. Nor can it be gotten rid of. As the host grows, the mark grows with it. Mine spreads a little every day.”

“It does?” She sounded like she was frowning. “It looks the same to me.”

“It’s very slow growing. Someday it will cover my entire body.” If he lasted that long, which he doubted.

“I’m sorry if I was insensitive about it,” Charlotte said quietly. “Do you want me to stop massaging your back? Actually in the dream I didn’t. I just did your front.”

“Oh?” Stavros half turned to face her. “Then why did you want to rub oil into my back now?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged, a crooked little smile on her face. “Maybe to put off the inevitable. Or maybe just because I like your back. You have such amazing shoulders…” She spanned them lightly with her fingertips, sending a shiver down his spine. “I’ve always had a thing for guys with broad shoulders. Sorry…” She gave a little laugh. “Again, not very professional.”

“No, but I don’t mind.” In fact, he was touched that she wanted to massage him in a place no other female would go near. It was still a revelation to him that she didn’t fear his mark, especially after years of shunning and avoidance by his own people. “You can continue if you like,” he said. “If it…calms your nerves. Unless you would rather I took over now.”

Charlotte sighed and straightened up. “I’m tempted to go on but if I do I might lose my nerve. I could massage your back all night and it wouldn’t get us any closer to doing what…what has to be done.”

“True.” He held out a hand for the massage oil and she gave it to him, reluctantly, he thought. Then he waited but she didn’t move. “Aren’t I supposed to be the one behind you for this next part of the dream?” he asked at last, gently.

“Yes…” Charlotte bit her lip but still didn’t move. Then she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Oh, what the hell. Let’s just do this.”

* * * * *

It took every bit of courage she had but Charlie made herself come down from the arm of the couch. Stavros scooted back and she perched on the edge of the cushion between his wide-spread knees.

She waited as he poured some of the oil into his hands and tried not to fidget. The situation felt strange and awkward, as though she was waiting for some weird and scary medical procedure to begin.

It’s okay, she told herself over and over again. We’re going to be professional. This doesn’t mean anything—we’re just going to do what we have to do to move on to the Circle of Oneness and get the damn Heart. We’re just going to—

And then she felt his big warm hands on her body—not cupping her breasts as she had expected but rubbing slow and long over the tense muscles of her neck and shoulders.

“Ahhh,” she moaned softly as he dug his thumbs expertly into her spine, “That’s…that’s not in the dream but it’s good—really good.”

“I thought it might be better to try and ease some of your tension before we began,” he murmured.

“You thought right,” Charlie assured him. As he rubbed, the knots in her neck and shoulders were beginning to loosen and she could feel herself melting like butter under the firm, warm pressure of his big hands. “God, where did you learn to give a massage like that? It feels amazing.”

“I’m just rubbing you in the same way you rubbed me.” Stavros sounded amused. “I am glad you like it.”

“Mmm…” was all Charlotte could say. His expert massaging felt so good and she was so warm inside from taking his blood she almost felt that she could slip off to sleep any minute.

Then she felt his big hands sliding down her sides and back up to caress the bottoms of her breasts.

“Ummm…” She had been almost fully relaxed but now she sat up in a hurry, her tension returning.

“It’s all right, Charlotte.” He made no move to touch any further, seeming content to just cup the undercurves of her breasts.

“What are you doing?” she asked at last. “I mean, why aren’t you…”

“Stroking your breasts and caressing your nipples? Because I want to take this slowly. I want you to be used to my touch before it becomes more…intimate.”

Part of Charlie shouted that she didn’t want to take things slowly—that she just wanted to get it all over with. But when she opened her mouth to say so, all that came out was, “Okay.”

“Good. Now lean back against me,” Stavros directed. “I’m going to touch you more fully.”

Biting her lip, Charlie did as he said. She scooted back on the overstuffed cushion and allowed her back to rest lightly against his muscular chest.

“Good,” he rumbled and she could feel his deep voice all the way through her body. “Now try to relax…” Slowly but firmly his fingers, still coated in oil, slid up the slopes of her breasts until both were cupped fully in his palms.

Charlie barely bit back a moan as she felt her sensitive nipples hardening in response to his gentle touch. God, he had the most amazing hands! Big and warm with such long fingers…

Just try not to think where those fingers are going to be before the end of the night, whispered a snarky little voice inside her head. Charlie tried to push it away. It wasn’t going to do her any good to get all tense and uncomfortable now—not with so much more of her dream to reenact.

Then Stavros began to pluck lightly at her nipples.

“Did I do this in your dream, Charlotte?” he asked in a low voice.

“Y-yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling a little.

“And this?” He twisted lightly, sending sparks of pleasure/pain straight from her aching nipples to her pussy which was rapidly becoming hot and wet.

“God, yes,” she whispered. “And then you asked me how I liked it.”

“I did?” He sounded faintly surprised. “Was I afraid I was hurting you? In the dream, I mean?”

“No, you…God…” The way he was teasing her tight little buds was making it hard to think. “You were asking me because you were…were talking dirty to me.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted saying them. But there was no calling them back and Stavros was plainly intrigued.

“You mean…sex talk? Erotic words to increase your arousal? To make you hotter?”

“Um, yeah. I guess.” Charlie bit her lip. Why oh why had she said anything about that? It was bad enough that he knew she had dreamed of him and they were acting it out. But knowing that in her dream she wanted him to talk dirty to her was beyond mortifying.

“What exactly did I say?” was his next question.

“I…I don’t remember,” Charlie lied.

“Yes, you do or you wouldn’t have mentioned it.” He continued to caress her nipples, circling them slowly with his fingertips and then pinching them gently to make her moan. “Tell me,” he murmured in her ear, squeezing her sensitive peaks until she gasped. “Tell me what I said to you in the dream. Please, Charlotte—we have to reenact every part of it—that includes the dialogue.”

Charlie cursed inwardly. When he put it that way, she couldn’t refuse to tell him.

“All right,” she whispered, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. “First you asked me how I liked it when you…when you pinched my nipples. And then you…you asked if it made my…my pussy wet,” she finished in a rush. Oh God, this was so humiliating.

“Mmm.” Stavros continued to stroke her breasts and circle her nipples. “And does it? Do you feel yourself getting wet and hot between your thighs as I touch you, Charlotte?”

“I…” She squeezed her thighs together tightly, her clit throbbing with need. God, how could she be so horribly embarrassed and so completely turned on at the same time?

“It’s all right,” Stavros murmured in her ear. “You don’t have to tell me—just say what you said in the dream. Is your pussy getting wet for me, Charlotte? And you said…”

“Yes. God yes,” she moaned softly.

“That’s good.” He kissed her gently on the side of her neck, making her shiver. “And now I am supposed to suck you…to taste your nipples. Am I not?”

“Y-yes,” she stammered. “I…yes, that was next in the dream. You bent me over your arm…”

“Like this?” He pulled her into his lap and she felt the hard ridge of his cock against her ass. Professional or not, clearly this was turning him on. Like it’s not turning you on too, scoffed the snarky little voice in her head. Hell, you’re hotter than a firecracker on the Fourth of July! Yes, but she shouldn’t be. She was trying to keep this impersonal…businesslike.

“Yes, like…like this,” she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking as he laid her back against his arm.

“And how did I suck your nipples?” He looked at her, his eyes half-lidded with desire through it was clear he was trying to act and sound businesslike. “Did I circle them gently with my tongue?” He demonstrated by tracing one taut peak with the tip of his tongue, making Charlie bite her lip to hold back a moan. “Or like this?” He dragged the flat of his tongue firmly over her other nipple, licking as though she was a lollypop he wanted to taste.

“Ah!” Charlie squirmed in his lap, unable to keep still. “N-no,” she got out at last. “You didn’t do it like that. You…you sucked hard. So hard I could feel your fangs on either side.”

“Like this?” Leaning down, he sucked one of her stiff peaks—sucked it hard, taking as much of her breast into his hot mouth as he could. Just as she had in her dream, Charlie felt the sharp points of his fangs bracketing her tender nipple. She moaned and threw her head back, thrusting her chest up and out, trying to give him better access.

“Like that,” she gasped. “Yes, just like that!”

He continued to suck hard, teasing her with his tongue now but somehow never drawing so much as a drop of blood even though she could feel how long and sharp the points of his teeth were growing. And though she knew they were supposed to just be going through the motions—doing everything from her dream just once and very briefly—Charlie couldn’t seem to ask him to stop.

At last, when she was on the point of wondering if she could come just from having her nipples sucked, he pulled back and looked at her with half-lidded eyes.

“Was that how it felt in your dream?” he murmured. “Or did I go too far?”

“No, it was…it was like that. Very intense,” Charlie somehow managed to make herself say.

“Maybe too intense.” He frowned and cupped her breasts lightly, examining her creamy slopes. “I seem to have left some marks on you. Here and here…with my fangs.” He touched the already fading red marks where the faint indentation of his shark points still remained on her flesh.

“That’s all right,” Charlie whispered. “It was the same in the dream In fact…in fact I thought you were going to bite me. I wanted you to bite me.”

Stavros closed his eyes briefly and gave a low groan.

“Charlotte…Gods.”

“What?” She looked at him in concern. “Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head.

“No. I just don’t think you understand. Telling me you want me to bite you is…” He looked her in the eyes, holding her gaze with his. “It’s like telling me you want me to fuck you,” he said bluntly.

“I…I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Charlie’s heart was racing. “I…I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s all right,” he growled. “But if you want me to remain professional, please don’t…don’t say anything like that again. It makes it very difficult.”

“All right,” she agreed. “I won’t.”

“Good. And now…I am assuming I sucked the other nipple in your dream as well.”

“Yes…” Charlie thrust her chest out again, offering herself shamelessly. “You did.”

“Good.” Stavros cupped her other breast and kissed her aching nipple lightly. “I would hate to leave a job unfinished.” Then he sucked her deep into his mouth, torturing her sweetly until she had to clench her hands into fists at her sides to keep from threading her fingers through his thick, long hair and pulling him closer.

At last, when she didn’t think she could stand it any more, he finally withdrew.

“Now,” he growled softly, catching her eyes again. “Tell me what comes next.”

“I…you…” Charlie bit her lip. God, how could they possible remain professional through this next part? She could feel how hard and hot he was as he pressed against her ass. Still, they had to try. “Next I…I took off the rest of your clothes,” she whispered.

“All right.” Stavros leaned back against the couch, his arms spread. “Go ahead.”

“I…um…” Feeling incredibly nervous and shy, Charlie reached forward to pluck at the fastenings at the waist of his Pharaoh outfit but somehow it didn’t want to come open. She tugged harder, getting irritated. “Damn it—what is it with you and clothes that don’t want to come off? This thing is as bad as those black leather flight trousers you were wearing when I first captured you.”

“I well remember how that turned out,” he rumbled softly. “Gods, the feel of your little hand brushing against my shaft nearly drove me to distraction.”

“I didn’t mean to give you a hard-on,” Charlie said, her cheeks getting hot as she tugged harder and harder. “Just like… I didn’t mean to… tonight.”

With the last word the outfit finally parted revealing the long, thick club of his sex standing straight and tall against his flat belly. It was the first really good, long look Charlie had gotten but she tried not to stare. Still…God, he’s huge! And I had that thing rubbing against me last night. Good thing he didn’t accidentally slip it in—he would have split me in two!

The big Kindred followed her gaze as she looked at him and shrugged.

“I am sorry, Charlotte. I know this,” He nodded at his thick shaft, “Is also unprofessional. But I could not touch you and taste you as I have been doing tonight and remain unaffected.”

“It…it’s all right.” She thought about telling him that she was feeling pretty affected herself—that she was every bit as hot and bothered as he was. But at the last minute she bit her tongue—better not to talk about how this was affecting them. Better to just keep going until the end.

“And now that I am naked?” Stavros asked, breaking her train of thought. “What next? I believe you said I took off the rest of your clothes as well?”

“You did.” Charlie stood before him on shaky legs and let him remove the rest of her novice robe, which had been hanging down around her waist. Technically she wasn’t supposed to be wearing anything under it. But she had checked in her “magic cabinet” on a whim when she collected the meditation oil and found a pair of tiny, white panties so lacy and sheer they were almost invisible.

“Mmm,” Stavros growled appreciatively, eyeing the panties. “These undergarments are incredibly provocative. May I touch them?”

Technically this wasn’t part of the dream. But Charlie found herself nodding anyway.

“All right.”

He growled again, softly, as he ran one long finger around the tiny white lace triangle that barely covered her pussy. In fact, the top of the panties was so low that the neatly trimmed thatch of blond curls and the top of her pussy slit were visible. The bottom point of the triangle was just a string that ran down the center of her pussy lips.

“They don’t cover much, do they?” Stavros remarked, looking up at her with half-lidded eyes.

“I…no, I guess they don’t.” She shifted uncomfortably and the white triangle pulled even lower, revealing the hot pink bud of her clit, peaking from between her swollen pussy lips.

“I guess this answers the question about your pussy getting wet,” Stavros murmured.

“It does?” Charlie felt her cheeks go hot with embarrassment.

“Just look.” He traced the outline of her panties again, letting his fingers linger casually at the top. She could feel his fingertips just barely brushing her spread slit and her exposed clit for a moment before he slid one long finger down the center of the white lace triangle, along her open pussy lips. “Look,” he murmured again. “This little garment is soaked with your juices. Your pussy is so wet that if it was made of the same material as the night dress you were wearing last night, it might start squeezing you, as it did in your dream.”

As if on cue, the panties she had found in the cabinet, actually did begin to shrink and squeeze—just as they had in her dream.

“Oh!” Charlie reached for the little white strings which were cutting into her hips. The white triangle was growing smaller and smaller, shrinking from the side of a silver dollar, to a quarter, to a penny in a few heartbeats.

“Gods!” Stavros looked at her uncertainly. “Are they actually…”

“Yes, yes they are!” Charlie squeaked, tugging uselessly at the shrinking, squeezing fabric. “Please, Stav…you have to—”

But he was already doing it. Sliding to his knees before her, he took care of the panties with two quick bites of his razor sharp fangs. As they fluttered to the floor, he looked up at her, his face filled with concern.

“Are you all right?”

“I am now.” She exhaled in a shaky rush. “Thank you—that’s the second time you’ve saved me from weird shrinking clothes and that was a little too close for comfort!”

“You’re welcome.” She expected him to get back on the couch but instead, he stayed there on his knees before her. “Charlie,” he murmured. “Tell me what comes next. In the dream.”

“I…you…” She bit her lip, embarrassed all over again. Embarrassed but incredibly hot. “You said…” She cleared her throat. “You said you’d see…see how hot and…how wet my pussy was. And then…then you did.”

“I didn’t ask?” He frowned slightly as he stroked lightly over the curls on her mound, tracing her pussy as he had been tracing her panties earlier. “Didn’t even ask if it was all right with you for me to touch you so intimately…to penetrate you with my fingers?” As he spoke, he gently spread her legs, widening her stance until her pussy was open for him.

“God…” Somehow Charlie found the strength to keep standing but she didn’t know how. “No…you didn’t ask,” she whispered. “You just…said you were going to see how hot and wet I was.”

“Well, I’m asking now.” He traced her pussy slit, letting his fingertips slide lightly over her wet petals and around her throbbing clit. Charlie bit back a moan as he looked up at her. “Charlotte,” he murmured softly. “Will you let me test your heat and see how wet your pussy is? Will you let me penetrate you with my fingers and thrust deep in your core?”

In answer, she spread her legs a little wider.

“Please,” she moaned breathlessly. “Please just…do it.”

Two long, thick fingers slid slowly down between her pussy lips. Then, with a low growl of need, Stavos found her entrance and pressed deep inside her, filling her channel completely with one long, slow thrust.

“Ahh!” Charlie’s legs seemed to be suddenly made of rubber and her spine was melted butter. She grabbed for his broad shoulders and would have fallen if he hadn’t wrapped his other arm around her waist to keep her upright.

“Is this the way I did it in your dream, falinda?” he murmured, giving her the sweet nickname again. “Is this the way I fingerfucked your hot, wet little pussy?”

“Y…yes,” she moaned, holding on to him for dear life. “Oh God, Stav, yes.”

“Gods, you’re tight!” he murmured, still pumping into her. “So tight and hot and so deliciously fucking wet. And your scent…” He pressed a kiss to her inner thigh and inhaled deeply. “So sweet…I could come just breathing you in.”

Charlie bit her lip. “I didn’t know you’d like my…”

“Your scent? I told you, it’s delicious.” His eyes flashed with hunger. “And look at how your honey is already coating your thighs.” He thrust up again, pressing against the end of her channel until she moaned and fresh wetness came from her throbbing pussy. “Can’t wait to taste you and lap up all those sweet juices,” he growled.

“I…you…” Suddenly Charlie felt frozen again as all her earlier tension returned. She went rigid in his arms and tried to pull away from him.

“Charlotte?” Plainly Stavros felt the tightness in her body because he withdrew his fingers and looked up at her with concern. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I just…” She took a step back from him and sat on the couch, legs crossed tightly. “I don’t know if I want to act out that part of the dream.”

“We have to,” Stavros said patiently. “We have to act out all of it. There can be no exceptions.”

“I know we’re supposed to…” She looked away, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. “I just…don’t want to.”

“What’s wrong?” He sat on the couch beside her. “Look at you—your soft little body is practically tied in a knot. Why is letting me taste you more difficult than any of the other things you so willingly let me do?”

“I…” She couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Does it have to do with something that happened to you?” he murmured. “A bad experience?”

Miserably, she nodded. “It was…the first guy I ever dated seriously after Missy…after she died. The first guy I ever let…well, you know.”

“The first one who ever made love to you?” he asked.

Charlie nodded. “Well, if you call getting on top of me and pumping a couple of times ‘making love’ then yeah, I guess so.”

“And did he taste you as well?”

Reluctantly, she nodded again. “Well…he started to anyway. But we were both inexperienced and he had never done that and I’d never let anyone do that and we just…”

“What happened?” The question was so soft, so gentle she could almost believe it had come from her own mind.

Charlie closed her eyes, trying not to remember the look of uncertainty and disgust on Clay’s face the first and last time he’d tried going down on her.

“It didn’t…appeal to him,” she said dryly.

Now that’s an understatement! whispered the little voice in her head. Didn’t appeal to him? Tell the truth—he made you feel like a fucking freak, Charlie.

She tried unsuccessfully to push the memory away. It had been a terrible experience—one she had never cared to repeat with any other man.

“Why not?” Stavros asked patiently. “How could tasting such a beautiful woman not appeal to him?”

Charlie looked up at him uncertainly.

“Please tell me, Charlotte,” he murmured. “I need to know in order to make this good for you. And Gods…” He looked at her earnestly. “I do want to make this good for you. I want your pleasure far more than my own.”

The sincerity in his eyes finally convinced her to talk.

“All right,” she whispered. “He…he didn’t like how wet I got. He said it was…disgusting and it grossed him out.” She nearly choked on the humiliating confession but she forced herself to go on. “I was…I felt…it was awful. I, uh, promised I wouldn’t put myself through that ever again. Since then I’ve been with a couple of guys who wanted to…to do that. But I always said no.”

“Because of that first bad experience with a male who clearly didn’t know what he was doing?” Stavros growled.

“Because I don’t need it.” She looked up at him, frowning defiantly. “Why should I care about something like that? It’s just one little thing—what’s the big deal?”

“The ‘big deal’ is that you want it.” He took her hand in his and entwined their fingers. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have dreamed of it.”

“I don’t believe that—dreams don’t mean crap.” Charlie withdrew her hand and wrapped her arms around herself again. “It’s just stupid…”

“It’s not stupid to ask for what you want, especially when there is one so willing to give it to you,” he rumbled.

Charlie shook her head stubbornly. “No.”

“What if I told you I like your wetness—that we even have a special name for a female whose pussy gets extremely wet like yours does?” Stavros asked softly.

“You do?”

“We do.” He nodded. “We call such a female a numalla. It literally means, ‘liquid pussy.’ And a numalla is highly prized among my kind.”

“But…why?”

“Well, as you may have noticed, we Blood Kindred are rather…well endowed.” He shifted a little and her gaze was drawn briefly to his lap where his cock was still at attention. It really was on the porn star side of large, Charlie had to admit. “It helps if a female makes extra lubrication to accommodate us,” he continued. “Do you see?”

“Okay, yes, I see,” she said, tearing her eyes away from his hardness. “I see how it would help while you’re having sex. But that doesn’t mean you’d like it more when you were…you know, going down.”

“Didn’t I tell you before that a Kindred warrior needs to pleasure his female with his tongue. Needs to taste her?” he asked softly. It’s not just a desire—it is a biological imperative for us. And if a male’s face isn’t as wet with the juices of his female afterwards, he isn’t doing it right.”

Charlie wondered briefly if he was making this all up to make her feel better but the look on his face was sincere. Still, it seemed hard to believe that any man would want to get wet and messy going down—especially after Clay had been so disgusted by her excessive wetness.

“Yes but still…” She shook her head. “I just don’t…I’m not really comfortable with this.”

“All right.” Stavros took a deep breath. “Think of it this way then—you don’t have to endure it for long.”

“I don’t?” She looked at him hopefully.

“Not if you don’t want to. Remember our deal—we are keeping things professional. So you don’t have to spread your pussy open and let me taste you in a long, leisurely manner—although the Gods know I would welcome the opportunity.” He made a hungry, growling sound in his throat. “You only have to let me kiss you once or twice before I move back to your inner thigh and bite you.”

Charlie sat up a little. “That’s all?”

“That’s all,” he rumbled. “Just a few kisses so that we can truthfully say we acted as we did in your dream. Then this whole scenario can be over.”

“Well…” Charlie could feel herself wavering. She had been extremely nervous about the idea of letting the big Kindred go down on her but as he pointed out, this didn’t have to be like that. He could just give her a few light pecks on the top of her mound, bite her thigh, and they would be done. That didn’t seem so awful.

Stavros said nothing, waiting patiently for her to decide. The very fact that he didn’t pressure her helped Charlie make up her mind.

“Well…all right, I guess,” she said at last. “But just a kiss and a bite. That’s it.”

“That’s it,” Stavros promised. He was already sliding off the couch to kneel before her on the soft, thick blue carpet. He lifted his eyes to look at her and though his face was calm, there was a fire burning far back in those indigo depths. A fire that Charlie had never seen there before.

“How should I—” She started to change positions but he stilled her with a hand on her knee.

“Just lie back and relax, Charlotte. Relax and let me kiss you.”

Slowly, still feeling incredibly self conscious, Charlie half reclined against the arm of the couch and let her knees drift apart. She couldn’t help being embarrassed by what was revealed.

Her pussy was still wet and swollen with need—her outer lips parting to reveal her slick inner petals and the little pink pearl of her clit. Her thighs, as Stavros had commented earlier, were wet with her juices and more was welling from her every moment. Liquid pussy indeed. Charlie bit her lip. It was hard to believe the big Kindred would find this appealing—it was exactly what had put her first real boyfriend off.

She saw Stavros studying her as well and she waited, tense and nervous, for his face to change into a sneer of disgust, just as Clay’s had all those years ago. And sure enough, the big Kindred’s expression did change—but not in the way she had feared.

Instead of revulsion, his strong features showed reverence. Instead of antipathy he looked at her with anticipation.

“Gods, your little pussy is so beautiful,” he muttered hoarsely, framing the area in question with his long fingers. “I could look at you all night.”

“Looking won’t get us to the Circle of Oneness,” Charlie reminded him. She was trying for sarcastic but her voice came out slightly breathy instead. Damn it, why couldn’t she sound normal? “You…you’re just going to kiss me once?” she asked, trying to make sure everything would be okay.

“Once in every way I did in your dream,” he specified gently. “For instance, I’m sure I probably kissed your outside first—correct?”

“Well…” Charlie shifted, wishing she could close her legs. “Yes, I guess…”

“Good, then let me do that now.” Leaning forward, he pressed a soft, chaste kiss to the springy curls on her mound.

Charlie bit her lip and gave a small squeak when she felt his hot breath against such a sensitive place. But though she was nervous, Stavros clearly was not. He kissed her gently and firmly and then drew back to look at her.

“See—that wasn’t so bad.”

“No…” she admitted.

“But I’m sure I didn’t just kiss the top of your mound in your dream. May I kiss lower now?”

“Still…still on the outside?” she asked.

He nodded. “I will kiss you gently—as I would kiss your mouth. Will you allow it?”

“I…yes, okay,” she whispered.

“Relax.” He gave her a small smile. “I won’t bite—not yet, anyway.”

Charlie shivered when she thought of those long, sharp fangs sinking into her. God, all the vampire novels she’d ever read…all the erotic dreams she’d ever had…they could come true tonight. But she had to get through this first.

“All right,” she whispered, letting herself settle back against the arm of the couch again.

“Good,” Stavros rumbled. His broad shoulders split her wide as he leaned forward again. His big, warm hands rested lightly on her inner thighs as he pressed his mouth to her pussy slit and gave her a long, lingering kiss that took Charlie’s breath away.

“Oh…” she whispered as she felt his lips move against her. True to his promise, he was treating her as tenderly as if it was her mouth he was kissing and not her pussy. And though he made no move to spread her open, she could feel her outer pussy lips parting anyway, almost as if her body was welcoming him in. She could feel his hot breath on her inner folds and then, just a tiny flicker of his tongue as it darted out to taste the throbbing bud of her clit.

She jumped and moaned when he did that—an action which involuntarily pushed her hips forward and opened her pussy even wider.

Stavros didn’t pull away from the increased contact. Instead his hands tightened on her thighs and he followed her when she settled back, clearly determined not to lose the ground he’d gained. She felt his tongue flicker against her clit again—was he trying to drive her insane? With a moan, she felt herself open even wider.

The big Kindred deepened his kiss and it was all Charlie could do to keep from threading her fingers through his hair and dragging him even closer. Somehow she keep her hands clenched by her sides until finally, reluctantly, he pulled back and looked up at her.

“Well?” he growled softly. “Was that all right?”

It had been a hell of a lot better than all right but Charlie was still wary of admitting it.

“It…wasn’t too bad,” she said cautiously.

“So you won’t be afraid to let me kiss you inside now?” His eyes glinted with that hungry fire again.

“Inside how?” Charlie asked quickly. “You mean up inside me? Because I don’t really want—”

“I just want to spread your pussy lips and kiss your inner folds for a moment,” Stavros rumbled reassuringly. “Believe me, Charlotte, if you don’t like it I can stop.”

“All…all right. But…you’re sure you want to?” she couldn’t help asking.

“Falinda…” He rested his hands on her thighs and looked into her eyes again. “Please believe me—I want to kiss you—to spread you open and kiss your sweet, wet little inner pussy. I want to more than I want to draw my next breath.”

“Well…” Charlie bit her lip. “It did happen in the dream so I suppose we should.”

“We have to,” Stavros said seriously. “But also, I want to. Please, Charlotte.”

“All right.” With a little sigh that was pure submission, she leaned back against the couch arm again. It’s going to be all right, she told herself, trying to believe it. He wants to do this. And it won’t take long—it’s just one kiss…

And the Stavros spread her outer pussy lips with his thumbs, revealing her slippery pink interior and the wet well of her inner pussy.

Charlie bit her lip, seeing how wet she was. God, letting him kiss her outer pussy had really had an effect on her! Even now fresh moisture was welling from her entrance. She looked at Stavros anxiously but there was no disgust on his face—just that feral hunger she’d seen in his eyes earlier. A look that said he couldn’t wait to do this.

His head dipped toward her, his long hair spread over his broad shoulders as he pressed his open mouth gently to her exposed inner folds.

Charlie moaned when she felt him kissing her, paying special attention to the sensitive little bundle of nerves at her center. His tongue played over her clit, light and teasing at first and then, when she didn’t pull back from him, the strokes became firmer as he licked and circled her more deliberately.

“Oh, God…” Charlie moaned, unable to help herself. She’d never been so hot in her life and she couldn’t take her eyes off the sight of the huge Kindred warrior kneeling between her legs, feasting on her pussy. This was how it should be—how she had dreamed it would be before that awful time with Clay. It felt so good to have his hot mouth on her, to feel him exploring her with his tongue as though he wanted to map her very soul…

Stavros groaned, the sound muffled by her flesh, and pressed closer. Then, raising his eyes to hers, he began to take long, slow licks of her cunt from bottom to top, as though she was an ice cream cone melting in the sun and he didn’t intend to lose a single bit. The warm, wet drag of his tongue over her clit made her moan and pump her hips helplessly. Then, deliberately still holding her eyes, he dipped the tip of his tongue into the well of her pussy, just barely pressing inside to get her nectar right from the source.

Charlie moaned in disbelief when she saw him licking up her juices—because that, essentially was what he was doing. He was tasting her—licking and sucking to get all available nectar as though he couldn’t get enough of her. As though he wanted more.

As if in response to him, her body made even more, her honey welling up from within like an inexhaustible fount.

The effect on Stavros seemed to be electric. He growled low in his throat and suddenly the big hands that had been resting lightly on her thighs, slid down to grab her ass.

“Can’t help it, falinda.” His voice was low and hoarse and the bottom half of his face and jaw were wet with her juices. “Need to taste your honey right from the source. Need to put my tongue deep inside you.”

“I…you…want to what?” She looked at him uncertainly. “But I—”

“I need to fuck you with my tongue,” he said roughly, his eyes glinting with need. “Gods, I need that so badly, Charlie. I need to feel your juices flowing right from your center…feel you quiver against me as I penetrate you to the core.”

He was waiting for her permission, Charlie realized. Waiting and barely hanging on to his desire by the thinnest of threads. At any moment that thread might snap and he would take her whether she wanted him to or not. But for this one moment, he was holding on, waiting for her.

“All…all right,” she whispered at last. “If you really want to—”

“Don’t just want to—I need to.” His deep voice was a hoarse, hungry growl. Then he wrapped those long, muscular arms around her thighs and split her wide to bare her completely.

Charlie gasped at the suddenly motion and reached out for something to hold on to. Somehow she found her hands buried in the thick auburn pelt of his hair. And then he pressed his mouth to her pussy and she felt something long and hot thrusting deep inside her channel.

“Ah!” Charlie arched her back at the sudden penetration. She had never expected to be able to enjoy this act. And she’d even less expected to find a man who would enjoy it. But Stavros was plainly loving every second of it. In fact, he couldn’t get enough of it—of her.

He thrust in and out of her, pausing to bathe and tease her clit with his tongue until her pussy welled up again, and then pressed deep to penetrate her and taste her honey again. Sparks of pleasure shot through her, making her pussy spasm with need around his invading tongue.

“Oh, God…” she cried, gripping his hair even harder. “Oh Please, Stav…please, I’m close…so close…”

Suddenly, he pulled back, leaving her wet and naked and alone.

“Stav? Stavros?” She looked at him uncertainly. “Did you…you don’t want to…”

“Of course I want to make you come,” he growled, answering her unfinished question. He was panting, his big shoulders heaving with effort. “I want it so damn badly I can hardly stand it. But I didn’t in your dream, remember?”

Charlie groaned. That damn dream! Of course he hadn’t made her come with his tongue—he’d bitten her. A thrill went through her at the realization. Finally her fantasies would come true!

“So now you’re going to bite me?” She couldn’t keep the anticipation from her voice. She was already so hot and open and his fangs looked so long and sharp. She had felt them pressing against her while he tongued her pussy but he had never even scratched her with them. What would it feel like to open herself to him completely and have those fangs sinking into her tender skin? What would it feel like to have him drink from her?

“You don’t sound very upset about it,” he pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “For someone who didn’t want to become my ‘personal pincushion’ at the start of this mission.”

Charlie bit her lip. “I know what I told you—all the rules we made. We’ve broken most of them already—but we had to.”

“We had to,” he acknowledged softly. “But I want to, too. Want to bite you, Charlotte and inject my essence.”

“I…I want it too,” Charlie admitted. She had only made that damn rule in the first place because she feared how much she wanted this. She’d had vampire fantasies since she’d first picked up an Anne Rice book at age twelve. And now…finally they were coming true.

“Gods, to hear you say that…” Stavros took a deep breath, obviously trying to master himself. The hungry light was back in his eyes and his fangs were longer and sharper than she had ever seen them. He started to lean down towards her thigh but Charlie stopped him with a tap on the shoulder.

“Wait.”

“What is it?” He looked up at her uncertainly. “Have you changed your mind?”

“No, of course not. I…I want you to bite me,” she whispered, knowing the effect it would have on him but unable to help herself. “Want it a hell of a lot. But…I want to see your fangs first. Want to feel them. Can I?”

“If you like.” Leaning towards her, he parted his lips, showing the long, curving double set of fangs on either side of his mouth where a human’s canine teeth would be.

Daring greatly, Charlie reached up and traced one of those long, sharp daggers of bone with her fingertip. The big Kindred made her think of every vampire novel she’d ever read and yet, he was more primal somehow than all the white-faced, silent, blood suckers of her fantasies. He was so big—dangerous and desirable at the same time with that wild, hungry look in his eyes. More like a saber tooth tiger than a creature of the night.

He shivered as she traced his fangs, his big body shuddering with need. Charlie knew he wanted to bite her every bit as much as she wanted to be bitten and the knowledge made her feel both powerful and vulnerable at the same time.

Slowly, her eyes never leaving his, she leaned back once more against the arm of the couch. Spreading her thighs wide, she beckoned to him.

“C’mon, baby,” she murmured. “Come and bite me—bite me hard. I want you to.”

With a low growl, Stavros pounced. Wrapping his arms around her legs again, he spread her wide and leaned down to lick her right thigh clean of her juices. Then, just as Charlie thought he was going to strike, he looked at her again.

“Watch me.” His voice nothing but an animalistic growl but somehow she understood him. “Watch me bite you, Charlie. Watch me make you mine.”

And then he struck, the long, sharp needles piercing the tender flesh of her inner thigh and driving in deep, penetrating her completely.

“Ahh!” she gasped. There was an instant of bright, burning pain and then Charlie’s entire body was flooded with pleasure in a way she’d never known before. She cried out, her back arching involuntarily as orgasm after orgasm rushed through her, as overwhelming and unstoppable as the tide coming in.

“Stavros…Stav!” she gasped, winding her fingers into his hair again. “Oh God, baby…yes please! Bite me—Do it! Do it harder!”

He did, growling low in his throat, marking her, possessing her in the most primal way he could. She could feel his fangs digging deep, penetrating her flesh and pumping his essence into her body, into her bloodstream. Marking her as his, claiming her in a way that couldn’t be mistaken for anything but complete possession.

Charlie didn’t know how much more she could take. Her clit was throbbing, her pussy flooding with juices, her back arching as she came and came, her system overloaded and overwhelmed by the essence he was pumping into her. Her blood was rushing in her ears and her heart was pounding harder and harder and faster and faster as though she was running a marathon.

Somewhere in the cloudy mists of her mind where she could still think a little voice whispered that this probably wasn’t good for her—that her entire system was going to short out if she didn’t stop. But like an addictive drug, the feel of his fangs in her and his essence in her body made her want more and more even though it was getting hard to breathe, hard to think…

Suddenly, just when she was gasping for breath, the sharp fangs withdrew.

For a moment Charlie just lay there panting, black spots dancing before her eyes, and then she felt him on top of her.

“Stav?” She looked up at him uncertainly, her vision a little blurred from the intense pleasure. As he came into focus she felt a stab of fear sharper than his fangs.

The look on his face had gone past possessive and into animalistic. Bestial. His pupils were dilated to black and his mouth was pulled back in a lustful snarl, his blood-stained fangs prominent in his inhuman face.

“Stavros?” Charlie asked again, hearing the fear in her own voice. He didn’t respond…didn’t move at all until she tried to sit up. Then he pushed her back down and she felt something long and hard and hot rubbing against her slick pussy.

“Stav…what? This wasn’t part of the deal!”

At last he spoke, in a low animalistic growl.

“Need to breed you…bond you. Need to make you mine completely.”

“What? No! You can’t,” she whispered wildly. “You can’t.”

“Have to.” The thick head of his cock was nudging her entrance now, preparing to enter her. At the same time his fangs were ready to sink deep into her neck. Charlie had never felt so vulnerable in her life. She knew somehow that if she let him do this—if she let him bite her and fuck her at the same time—an irrevocable bond would form.

She thought of Missy—of her fear of never being free. The Kindred bond was unbreakable—something you could never get away from. A chain and manacle around your very soul.

“Stavros, no!” She reached up to push against his broad chest but it was like pushing against iron. He loomed over her, the head of his cock still lodged in her entrance, and there was nothing human left in his face—nothing left but a snarling, lustful beast intent on claiming its mate.

“You’re mine,” he growled. “Mine.”

“No!” She tried to kick out, to free herself, but the motion only pushed the head of his cock deeper into her. He growled appreciatively and tightened his grip on her, wrapping his long arms around her thighs.

“Give yourself to me.” It was a demand, not a plea and she had the feeling that soon he would be past asking—he would simply take what he wanted. What he needed from her. His eyes glowed as he waited for her answer. “Give yourself to me now.”

Charlie gasped, fear overtaking her. But not just fear of the rutting beast her partner had become—fear of her own desire. Because part of her, no matter how small, part of her wanted to stop fighting. To open herself to his fangs and his cock and let him take her completely as he seemed so intent on doing. To give in to his demands and simple accept her fate.

But then you’ll never get away! Never be free! a panicked little voice whispered in her head. It sounded like Missy.

The thought of her sister seemed to galvanize Charlie in some way. She looked up, catching those wild, animal eyes and holding them with her own.

“Stavros,” she said clearly, her voice trembling only a little. “You told me when I met you that you would never take a woman against her will. That you didn’t believe in rape.”

Was it her imagination or did the fierce hunger burning in his eyes cool just a little?

“I don’t want this,” she said, raising her voice. “I don’t want this!”

He closed his eyes briefly and his entire body shuddered—she could feel it run through her like a minor earthquake in the place where they were joined. Then with a swift backward motion he pulled away, leaving her empty. He leaned down to her, putting his face close to her ear and snarled,

“Run!”

“Stav?” she whispered, looking up at him.

“Run now, before I take you.” His eyes flashed. “Run before I fuck you. Run!”

With a little gasp, she rolled off the couch and made a dash for the bedroom, not daring to look behind her in case the beast was hot on her heels. She got through the bedroom and into the bathroom, slammed the door and locked it behind her.

Then she backed into a corner and held herself tight, shivering. God, what was she going to do?

Chapter Twenty-five

Stavros fought a brief, fierce battle within himself. Part of him—the possessive animal side, the side that had bitten her—claimed that he had to go after Charlotte. That he had to drag her down and breed her—that he had to finish the job he’d started on the couch.

“No,” he growled to that part of himself. “I can’t—she’s not mine to take. Not mine to breed or bond or love. She’s not mine.”

She is! insisted the voice of the beast. You’ve marked her—injected your essence. Now you must finish the job. Make her yours, take her completely. Fill her with your seed and mark her with your scent! Be sure no other male will ever get near her again!

He was up and about to go after her when he remembered the look in her eyes.

“I don’t want this,” she’d said. “I don’t want this.”

She didn’t want a permanent bond with him or any other Kindred. And even if she did want to bond he couldn’t. He was one of the Cursed—a Sin Eater. It wasn’t fair to tie any woman to him. He had to let her go. Had to calm down…calm down…breathe…

Hands balled into fists, Stav sank to the carpet on his knees. He drew ragged, sobbing breaths into his lungs, waiting for his blood to cool, for the unquenchable fire to go out. Gods he wanted her so much. And not just because of the way she looked or tasted—because she was who she was. Because she was Charlotte.

“She doesn’t want to bond…doesn’t want to breed,” he growled to himself, trying to regain control. “I can’t have her—she doesn’t want me or any Kindred.” She had told him so in no uncertain terms. Just as she’d told him she didn’t want to have sex.

And instead of listening to her and respecting her wishes what had he done?

“I fucking raped her—or near enough.” Stavros groaned. As his blood cooled and the overwhelming urge to bond with her receded, the enormity of what had happened between them began to press on him.

Gods, what have I done? What have I done?

And will she ever forgive me?

* * * * *

“The dark one…he’s coming for me. He’s coming and I’ll never be free of him. Never be free!”

“Don’t say that, Missy!” Charlie hugged her sister tight. “Please don’t say it. I won’t let them take you—I won’t!”

“You can’t stop them—no one can.” The look in Missy’s eyes was desolate…desperate. “I so afraid to sleep…afraid I’ll see him and I won’t be able to wake up. And then I do wake up and it’s not a bad dream, not a nightmare—it’s real. He’s coming for me and no one can stop him—no one even wants to stop him. I have to go with him because it’s the law.”

“Missy…” Charlie felt so helpless. What could she do? How could she deny or refute her sister’s claims when they were all true—absolutely true?

“He’ll take me away and tie me to him permanently. You know how it is—the Kindred don’t do divorce. Once they’ve got you, you can never get free. I’ll lose everything. And, Charlie, we’ll lose each other…”

Charlie knew it was true. Tears squeezed from her eyes as she held her sister tight. To never see her again…to lose her to some strange, dark alien who could come for her anytime he wanted…was coming for her now…

“I hate them,” she whispered passionately into Missy’s tangled hair. “I hate them all so much…”

“I’m just afraid.” Missy looked at her with wide eyes. “Afraid that once they have me, I’ll never be free…never be free…”

“Never…be free,” Charlie muttered in her sleep.

“Charlotte?” The tentative knocking on the bathroom door startled her out of the doze she’d fallen into.

“Huh?” She looked up, feeling groggy and out of sorts. Where was Missy? And why was she sitting on the cold bathroom floor naked except for some towels she’d wrapped around herself? Stavros’s blood was starting to wear off and she shivered in the chilly air.

Stavros’s blood.

Her blood.

His bite.

Suddenly it all came back to her. Stavros giving her his blood…tasting her…biting her…and nearly bonding her to him forever…

“God!” She sat up suddenly, one of the towels falling from around her bare shoulders.

“Charlotte?” he murmured again. This time the soft knocking made her jump.

“Stavros?” she croaked. Then she felt stupid—of course it was him. Who else would it be?

“Are you well?” he asked. “I should not have…I am deeply shamed at the way I acted.”

Charlie shrank back for a moment shivering, her dream and the experience with the big Kindred fresh in her mind.

God, what we almost did—what he almost did. And part of me…I wanted to let him. To forget everything that Missy went through and betray her memory and just…let him. What the hell is wrong with me?

The realization of how close she’d come to bonding with him made her shake. The fear of being trapped gnawed at her mind like an animal caught in a trap gnaws at its own leg to be free.

“Go away,” she called, unwilling to face him. “Just…leave me alone.”

“I have been trying to leave you alone.” Stavros’s voice was muffled by the door. “But I grew worried about you. It has been hours and I thought the effects of my blood must have worn off.”

“Don’t worry about me—I’m just fine,” she snapped. “If I get cold I’ll take a hot bath.”

“Please…” The deep voice was pleading now. “At least come to the door. At least let me see that I haven’t harmed you.”

“You’d feel it if you had,” she pointed out. “Any physical pain…you’d feel it.”

“I know…” His voice was so low now she had to strain to hear it. “But there are other ways a person can be hurt. Please, Charlotte…”

Charlie got up unsteadily, and wrapped the towel more firmly around herself. Lifting her chin, she marched to the door on legs that felt as brittle as old sticks. She took a deep breath, braced herself, and unlocked the door.

“Fine, here I am.” She probably looked a mess with her hair all rumpled and her eyes bloodshot, not to mentions she was dressed only in towels. Not that she cared.

Stavros didn’t look much better himself. His hair was wild, as though he’d been running both hands through it and his eyes were more red than blue.

“Charlotte…” For a moment he didn’t seem to know what to say. Then he dropped gracefully to his knees and bowed his head. “Forgive me,” he said hoarsely. “I have no excuse for what I did.”

At the sight of him kneeling before her, looking so abjectly miserable, Charlie’s heart throbbed. For a moment she wanted to reach out to him. Her hand was actually outstretched to touch his hair...

Then her dream came back to her and she remembered the fear in Missy’s eyes…and her own fear on the couch when it had seemed that he would bond her to him whether she wanted him to or not.

“Charlotte…” he whispered again when she didn’t answer. “Please…”

“Please what—forgive you?” she demanded. “For nearly raping me or for almost trapping me in a relationship I could never get out of?”

“I am sorry.” He raised his eyes to hers. “I should not have bitten you. I should have known it would make me want…more.”

“Well you can’t have more,” Charlie snapped. “You know how I feel about being bonded to you? To any Kindred? I’d as soon be turned into one of those freakish Joined Ones!”

He recoiled as though she’d slapped him.

“Surely you can’t compare bonding with that.”

“I don’t see a difference.” Charlie crossed her arms over her breasts protectively. “It’s a relationship you can never get free of—it’s a cage.”

“How can you say that?” His voice was low and rough. “How can you feel that way about a relationship so close and loving…a bonding that lasts a lifetime?”

Charlie shivered, thinking of Missy. Thinking of Momma and Daddy, always fighting, always shouting… “You cheating no good lousy bastard, go back to your little whore!”

“I wouldn’t have to find another woman if you’d put out once in awhile!”

“So I can catch the diseases you got from her? I don’t think so…”

They had fought and snapped and shouted for years until her Daddy finally filed for divorce. It had been a relief for everyone—especially Charlie and Missy. But then Missy started having the dreams. And everyone knew there was no getting out of it. After all, the Kindred didn’t do divorce.

She could still hear her sister crying… “He’s coming for me and I’ll never be able to get away from him….”

“Right,” she said flatly, snapping back to the present and glaring at the big Kindred, still kneeling before her. “Being tied to someone you can’t get free of…always bickering and arguing…hating the other person so much you want to die because death is the only way out. Oh yeah, that sounds freaking wonderful.”

“It’s not like that,” he pleaded. He stood gracefully and took her hand in his. “I don’t know what human bonds are like but between the Kindred…”

“Look, just leave me alone.” She pulled her hand away and pointed a shaking finger at him. “Don’t touch me again. As long as we’re here we still have to pretend to be a couple but if you so much as lay a finger on me…”

“I won’t.” He lifted both hands in a gesture of peace. “You know I won’t.”

“Good. Now leave me alone—I want to take a shower.”

Charlie slammed the door in his face and went to twist the shower controls violently. As the bathroom filled with clouds of hot steam, she buried her face in her hands and wept.

* * * * *

Stavros sank down on the other side of the fresher door, his legs too weak to hold him. Over the sound of the water running, he could hear Charlotte’s broken sobbing. He wanted in the worst way to go to her, to hold her and comfort her, but he couldn’t. He was the reason she was crying in the first place.

She hates me. Gods, she really hates me. And I can’t blame her one Goddessdamn bit. After what I did…

But she almost seemed more upset about the near bonding than she had about the way he’d almost taken her against her will.

Almost, hell, he told himself angrily. You were almost inside her before she made you see reason and you pulled out. You acted like a fucking animal—no wonder she can’t stand the sight of you now. No wonder she hates you.

He hated himself, too. Especially now that he was beginning to understand how he really felt about Charlotte.

Admit it, whispered a little voice in his head. You’re falling in love with her. You can’t help yourself—she’s all you’ve ever wanted in a female and even though she’s out of reach you can’t stop wanting her. You can’t stop…you’ll never stop.

Stav closed his eyes in agony. It was true. All of it was true. H wanted her—wanted her forever—and he couldn’t have her. He had heard a saying on Earth—“The truth will set you free.” Well, now he knew the truth about himself—the secret hiding in his heart. He loved Charlotte but knowing it did him no good and he wasn’t free at all. He would never be free of this hopeless love.

Never be free.

Chapter Twenty-six

“So…are the two of you settled comfortably on the truth-saying couch?”

Nar’sa looked at them innocently, clearly unaware of what was really going on between them.

“Yes, we’re fine,” Charlie said.

She sat stiffly on the round, furry red couch, her back rigidly erect, trying to keep her distance from the big Kindred who sat beside her. To his credit, Stavros sat straight as well, keeping to his side and being careful not to touch her.

“And did you fulfill the demands of the dream that came to Charlotte?” Ta’no asked.

“We did,” Stavros said simply. “In every way.”

“Well…” Nar’sa looked as if she wished she could have the juicy details but Charlie wasn’t saying a damn thing. Let their Hossan councilors imagine what they wanted—Charlie’s lips were sealed. She was trying not to even think of the time she and Stavros had spent together, let alone talk about it.

“I must say, for mates who have participated in erotic activities so lately, you do not appear very affectionate towards each other.” Ta’no frowned at them.

Stavros cleared his throat.

“We are…tired. The erotic ‘homework’ you assigned us was most taxing.”

“Is this true?” Nar’sa looked at Charlie, frowning.

“I’m completely worn out,” Charlie said, truthfully. Of course, she was worn out from crying and hating herself and being angry at Stavros and missing her sister all over again but Nar’sa hadn’t asked about that.

“Well…” At last the female Hossan shrugged. “I suppose since you have done as we asked, you must be promoted to the Circle of Oneness, no matter how listless you appear.”

“This is true, my love.” Ta’no motioned to them. “Rise and accompany us. You shall be promoted today.”

Charlie felt a sense of relief. Finally…finally they were getting into the inner circle. Now they would have access to the Heart. Tonight they could sneak in, grab it, and be flying out of here in their ship before anyone was the wiser. Then the Kindred could neutralize the threat of the Enhanced Ones and she could go home, back to Earth and forget about Stavros and the rest of his kind forever.

And all that for the simple price of practically selling your soul to the enemy. Or at least giving your body, whispered the snarky voice in her head. Hope it was worth it, Charlie!

Trying to ignore the voice, she and Stavros followed Nar’sa and Ta’no to the crimson door edged in brilliant white lights which marked the entrance to the Circle of Oneness.

“Now then,” Nar’sa said, turning to them. “The triple scan. Which of you will go first?”

“I will,” Stavros said, coming forward before Charlie could say a word. She knew what he was doing—going first in case there was some kind of hidden trap or pain involved, like the way the Joined One had burned her hand on the scanner to the Circle of Discovery. He was trying to protect her, even now that she had told him she wanted nothing else to do with him. The knowledge made her mad. Why did he have to be so damn noble and protective when she just wanted to hate him?

“I’ll do it—I’ll go first,” she snapped, striding in front of him and holding out her hand. “Do I just press the door panel like before?”

“Yes, and then present your eye to the scanner.” Nar’sa was tapping in a sequence into the silver panel. She finished and stepped back. “Go on.”

Bracing herself for any possible pain, Charlie slapped her hand to the silver panel and watched as it was outlined in brilliant white light. Then she looked bravely into the scanner, focusing on the red dot as Nar’sa instructed.

“Very good,” the female Hossan said, nodding at her. “And now if you will step through the door and into the Circle of Oneness, the third scan can begin.”

“Fine.” Determined to show no fear, Charlie went striding through before the red panel of the door was even all the way open. Her forward momentum carried her over the threshold and into a hallway filled with golden-pink light…

And directly into the path of the Joined One.

“Oh my God!” Charlie reeled back from the nightmare of two faces melting into one. She would have fallen but the Joined One shot out a hand and caught her wrist before she could.

“So…Charlotte…it surprises us greatly to see that you and your mate are being promoted.” It was Ye’ha’Na’ho, she saw at once—the head Joined One. The one that doesn’t like us, she thought grimly.

Aloud she said, “Let go of me!” and tried to pull away.

But the hideous figure’s grasp was much stronger than the long, transparent fingers filled with pink and turquoise veins would have led her to believe.

“We think not, child—for such you are to us. First you must be scanned to be assured of your worthiness to enter the final holy circle.”

“What are you talking about? Can’t you scan me without touching me?” The Joined One’s cool, clammy fingers on her arm filled Charlie with revulsion.

“Let go of her! Don’t touch my mate!” Stavros’s voice was a low growl but when Charlie turned her head, she saw he was still on the other side of the doorway. His eyes were burning with protective rage but it looked like he was pressing against some sort of invisible barrier—one he couldn’t get through no matter how hard he pushed.

“You have not been scanned yet,” Ta’no told him. “You cannot enter until you are.”

“Scan me then,” he growled. “But in the meantime, leave Charlotte alone!”

“After the third scan we will release her.” The Joined One hummed tranquilly and all four of its weird, glowing eyes closed. “If you simply hold still, it will take less time,” the female face murmured to her.

“I don’t want to hold still. I don’t want you to touch me,” she protested but the creature’s grip was unbreakable. At last she had to settle for standing as far from it as she could while it held her wrist. What the hell did it think it was doing? Was it trying to read her mind? And if so, what might it find? Charlie wondered uncomfortably if it could tell her true intentions for being here. And what would the punishment be for trying to steal the most sacred and holy artifact in the entire place?

No, don’t think about it! she told herself quickly. Don’t! What if it can read minds? Think of something else, quick! Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb…

“Ah-ha!” All four of the Joined One’s eyes flew open suddenly and it pointed an accusing finger at her. “Now we know.”

“Know what?” Charlie asked nervously. Stavros was still trapped on the other side of the invisible barrier that separated him from the inner circle. And neither Nar’sa nor Ta’no was making any effort to get him scanned so he could come in.

“We know what you are hiding!” The Joined One, Ye’ha’Na’ho, glared at her with both faces and all four eyes. “We know your secret sin.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Charlie demanded uneasily. “What could you possibly know just by grabbing my wrist?”

“We know that you…” Ye’ha’Na’ho drew itself up to its full height and scowled down at her. “Have recently spoken of your past.”

“What?” At first it didn’t make any sense—then Charlie felt a wave of relief wash over her. “Seriously, you’re upset because I talked about my past?” They must mean when she was telling Stavros why she didn’t want to let him taste her. Just the memory made her blush but she would much rather the Joined Ones know about that than suspect her as a spy.

“You spoke of the past,” the male face thundered, getting red and angry. “In a place where we deny our pasts…we bury them and move forward.”

“We live in the present and look to the future,” the female face said, frowning. “And for the crime of breaking our laws, you must be punished.”

“Punished? Punished how?” Charlie demanded, beginning to feel nervous all over again. Behind the invisible barrier, Stavros was emitting a low, angry growl. His fangs were fully extended, their tips as sharp as knives.

“You may have your choice,” the female face said benevolently. “It is only fair. Taste the pain of the fire whip…”

“Or enter the Temple of Regrets,” the male face said.

“The Temple of Regrets? What’s that and what does it do to you?” Charlie asked. Whatever it was, she doubted it could be worse than the “fire whip.”

“It is the place where your darkest memories come to life.” The eyes of the female face glinted fiercely, like sunlight flashing off quartz. “It is a punishment reserved for those who cannot forget their pasts—they are condemned to relive them.”

“Your worst memories?” Charlie put a hand to her throat. “You mean…you have to watch them happen over and over again?”

“Just once. But you do not just watch—you will relive the experience.” A cruel smiled played around the male’ face’s thin lips. “So what do you say, Charlotte? Will you take punishment by fire whip or will you enter the Temple of Regrets?”

Charlie didn’t even have to think about it.

“I’ll take the whip.”

Stavros watched in agony as the Joined One pulled out a short, stubby black handle from the fold of its black robes and made a slashing motion in the air. At once three long tongues of flame sprouted from the handle and burst into crackling, sizzling life with a smell like burnt ozone.

“Stop it—stop!” he demanded. “Fucking let her go, now!” He pushed uselessly against the invisible barrier as the Joined One prepared to whip Charlotte. It was like pushing against a granite wall—one that was invisible and intangible but there just the same.

“You must wait until the Joined One is finished,” Nar’sa said, tranquilly. “Then we may continue with your scanning process and let you into the Circle of Oneness to be with her.”

“You let me in now!” Stavros demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he slapped his palm to the silver door panel. A burning jolt went through him, as though he’d pressed his hand to a bolt of lightning. The force of it knocked him backwards and for a moment he was stunned.

When he came to, shaking his head to try and rid himself of the buzzing in his ears, he saw an awful sight. Charlotte was leaning face first against the wall in the other corridor, her white robes raised to show her bare bottom and the Joined One was standing behind her, about to swing the fiery whip.

“Wait! No!” He stumbled to his feet and ran to the barrier. “Don’t whip her!” he begged, trying to get the Joined One’s attention. “Do it to me—whip me instead!”

The huge, misshapen head turned and both faces focused on him for a moment. “Oh, we will, Stavros. But only if our scan shows that you deserve it. First we must attend to Charlotte.”

“At least let me be with her!” he pleaded desperately. If he could just get through the barrier—if he could just touch her—he could absorb most of her pain, he was sure of it. But with the barrier between them, he didn’t know if he’d be able to bear any of her burden at all—let alone take all of it as he wanted to.

“I am afraid not, my dear Stavros,” the male face sneered. “You have not yet been scanned.”

“I swear to the Goddess, if you touch her—” he snarled, but the whip was already in motion. There was a sizzling whoosh and then a flat crack as all three of the long fiery tongues landed on Charlotte’s bare, quivering backside.

She jumped and bit her lip fiercely as though trying to hold back a cry and Stavros felt a whisper of pain go through her. But only a whisper, like a shout heard in another room—the barrier was blocking it somehow. Desperately, he reached out to her with his mind, trying to absorb the pain of the cruel whip but he felt blocked, as though he was trying to reach through a brick wall.

The whip fell again and this time Charlotte couldn’t help trying to shield herself. The tongues of flame wrapped around her hands, burning both palms before she could pull away.

“Let that be a lesson,” the male face of the Joined One snapped. “You must not try to impede the punishment.”

“But at this time we will give you the option to change your mind,” the female face said as Charlotte held her wounded palms to her chest. “Would you rather forego the fire whip and visit the Temple of Regrets instead?”

Stavros was certain she would say yes—even though he couldn’t feel much, he could tell that the whipping was extremely painful. But Charlotte shook her head.

“Just…just finish,” she said hoarsely, turning to face the wall again. “Finish and let me go.”

“Very well, my dear.” The Joined One raised the whip and let it fall again. Again Charlie flinched and gasped. Stavros watched helplessly as the fiery tongues branded her pale skin with bright red marks and curled around her upper thighs like eager lovers hungry for her flesh.

Tears ran down her face now but she made no sound. Her eyes were shut tight and her wounded hands were fisted on the wall in front of her as she half leaned-half braced against it. The look on her face was sheer, stubborn determination. Clearly she wasn’t going to let the Joined One get the better of her, no matter how many times the whip fell.

“Let her go—that’s enough! Let her go!” Stavros cried hoarsely. “Goddess damn you—let her go!”

“Her mate makes a passionate plea, Joined One,” Nar’sa said hesitantly. “Perhaps…the punishment is nearly complete?”

“Very well.” The Joined One was panting with effort. Slowly it turned towards them and let the whip drop to its side. The long spitting, sizzling tongues hissed angrily against the metal floor. “We suppose that will be sufficient to teach our lesson.”

As soon as the whipping stopped, Charlotte slid down the wall to huddle in a heap on the floor. Stavros felt like his heart was going to burst if he couldn’t reach her.

“Let me through—let me through to her!” he demanded.

Instead, the Joined One reached down and grabbed Charlotte by the upper arm. It dragged her roughly upward and thrust her back through the invisible barrier that separated the outer hallway from the corridor leading to the inner circle.

Stav barely caught her and as she came through the barrier, he felt the stinging burn of her wounds as he had been unable to before. He cradled her gently in his arms, trying to hold her without hurting her more.

“You bastards.” He looked at the Joined One with real hatred in his heart. “If you ever—”

“Save your threats,” the creature said. “Tend to your mate.” It shook the whip once and the tongues of flame disappeared, leaving only the black, stubby handle again. Ye’ha’Na’ho shoved the handle back into its robes, bowed briefly, and strolled off down the hallway as though nothing had happened.

“Gods!” Stavros lifted Charlotte into his arms as gently as he could but though he tried not to, his arms connected with some of her burns. She jumped and moaned miserably.

“Well, I am afraid you will be unable to enter the Circle of Oneness today after all,” Ta’no said, eyeing Charlotte with concern. “Perhaps it is best if you take your mate back to your rooms and tend her. We can try again tomorrow.”

“The hell we will,” Stavros snarled. “I’m taking her home now. You and all the rest of the freakish bastards who live here can all go straight to—”

“No…” To his surprise, Charlotte was plucking at his arm and shaking her head.

“What?” Stavros looked down at her, certain she must be delirious with pain. Even though he was taking as much as he could from her, the stinging, burning he felt was obviously just a drop in the bucket.

“No. Don’t want…to leave,” she whispered. “Stay.” Her eyes got wider. “Have to…stay. Earth…”

She’s still thinking of her home planet—of saving it from the Dark Kindred, Stavros realized.

“All right.” He nodded his head stiffly. “We will stay.”

“I am glad to hear you say that,” Nar’sa said, smiling gently. “I know the punishment seems harsh but the Joined Ones are always just in their ways. They have reasons for what they do.”

Knowing that Charlotte wanted to stay, Stav kept his mouth shut about how he felt about their “reasons” and simply nodded again.

“Do not be discouraged, Stavros,” Ta’no said to him. “You and your mate may yet reach the Circle of Oneness. But for tonight, simply stay in your rooms and help her heal. There should be some sifra ointment in your cabinet when you return. If you apply it at once, it should ease her pain and prevent any permanent scarring.”

Stavros opened his mouth to say he needed none of their ointment—he could heal Charlotte himself…then he closed it again. Knowing how she felt about him now, there was no way she would allow him to heal her with his essence. She wouldn’t want him licking her to apply it topically and she certainly wouldn’t want to let him bite her and inject it into her bloodstream to heal her from the inside out. It looked like he would be using the sifra ointment, whatever it was, after all.

“Thank you,” he said briefly. “We will see you later.”

“At first meal, perhaps,” Nar’sa said. “In the meantime, we will see that something is sent to you for last meal tonight. You are excused from the dining area since your mate is wounded.”

“While you are making accommodations for Charlotte’s wounds, perhaps you might make our rooms a bit warmer,” Stav said acidly. “She nearly froze the first night and last night was bad as well.”

“Of course,” Ta’no said. “I think you are past needing the Wardels. I will notify the keepers to let them disperse from your rooms though it may take some time.”

“We should take the alarm off their door as well,” Nar’sa remarked. “Clearly they are past the stage where they need to be kept forcibly together.”

“True.” Ta’no nodded. “It shall be done.”

“Thank you,” Stav said stiffly. “And now, I must go tend to my female.”

He knew that Charlotte wanted to stay despite her wound and the cruel punishments of the Joined One. He knew it and deep down, he agreed with her—they couldn’t leave. Not when they were so close to getting what they had come for. But that didn’t make it any easier to turn down the corridor leading to their rooms instead of heading for the docking bay where their ship was parked.

He was fuming with anger and overcome with worry for her. She might hate him and everything to do with him but he still cared for her—cared desperately. And the fact that he had been unable to protect her from danger and keep her from harm ate at him as he carried her silently to their rooms.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Charlie was having an awful dream—something about sitting on a hot stove.

“Ow!” she gasped, looking down to see the red hot surface under her bare bottom. But when she tried to get up, she couldn’t—she was stuck as though held down by some huge, invisible hand. The stove was scorching her flesh—not just the flesh of her bottom but of her inner thighs and between her legs as well. It hurt so much she couldn’t stand it! She pushed down against the stove, trying to get free and burned her palms too.

“Let me up,” she pleaded with the owner of the hand. “Please let me go—it burns!”

“I know it burns, falina,” a deep voice murmured softly. “Just be still—it will hurt less presently.”

Charlie opened her mouth to say she couldn’t stand it anymore and she couldn’t be still…but just then something cool and soothing was spread over her burning bottom.

She sighed with relief as the red hot stove melted away to be replaced by the cool tingling that continued to spread over the areas of pain and take the burning away. Well, most of the areas, anyway—her hands were still burning and so were her inner thighs and the area between her legs.

“Please,” she whispered to the owner of the voice. “My hands…and inside my thighs…”

The surface she was lying on—because now for some reason she was lying flat on her face—shifted restively.

“Your hands I can help. I do not know about the…other areas.”

“Why not?” Charlie begged as the soothing cream was spread over the palms of her hands. She sighed in relief as the cool tingling eased the pain in her palms and fingers. Her bottom and hands felt better now—much better. But the pain between her thighs seemed almost to increase in contrast. “Please,” she begged. “It hurts.”

“I know but I do not think it is a place you want me touching you right now. Not after…what happened last night,” the low, rumbling, somehow familiar voice said.

“After what…” Charlie came fully awake at last. Opening her eyes, she found that she was lying face down, draped over Stavros’s lap. Not only that but her robe was raised and the big Kindred was rubbing some kind of ointment all over her bare ass.

“Charlotte? Are you well?” He looked down at her anxiously.

“Get away from me!” She tried to scramble off his lap and had to stop when a bolt of pain shot through her. “Ouch!”

“Stay put—you’re not fully healed yet,” he said, frowning.

“What—stay here half naked so you can keep molesting me?” Charlie demanded. “I don’t think so.”

“I wasn’t ‘molesting’ you, I was trying to heal you. Your pain was awful—I felt it,” he said, frowning. “You fainted from the agony of the whipping you took. The sifra ointment Ta’no recommended was in my cabinet and so I decided to use it on you. I was hoping to heal you before you woke up.”

“So I wouldn’t know what you were doing, no doubt” Charlie knew she sounded accusatory but she wasn’t happy about waking up on his lap with him rubbing her bare ass after she’d told him not to touch her again.

“No, so I could spare you pain.” He leaned down to look at her. “Do you think I wanted to use this stuff to heal you?” He held the tube of pale pink ointment in front of her face. “A Blood Kindred does not need such things. By rights I should have used my essence.”

“What…by biting me again?” Charlie felt a shiver go through her at the memory of the multiple orgasms his essence had caused in her the night before. She couldn’t let him do that again—she couldn’t.

“Or by licking you,” he murmured, his eyes glinting in the dim golden glow that suffused the living area. “I could have healed you more completely and painlessly as any ointment—but I did not wish for you to wake and find me doing so. I knew you would misconstrue my intentions.”

“Well you thought right,” Charlie snapped, trying not to think of him licking between her thighs where the burning was worst. “But this isn’t much better. Why didn’t you just wait until I woke up and let me use the ointment on myself?”

“Read the directions,” Stavros said patiently. “Like everything else in this place, the ointment only works if applied by your mate’s hand.”

“That’s what they say anyway,” Charlie muttered. “Here, let me see it.” She took the ointment and stared at it until the alien letters made sense to her brain. Thank goodness for translation bacteria!

Ointment of Sifra, read the small letters. Effective only if applied by the beloved’s hand. Warning: if…

There was more in smaller print under that but Charlie didn’t have the time or the patience to read it.

“Lover’s hand my ass,” she muttered.

“That is, in fact, exactly where I have been applying it,” Stavros remarked mildly.

“Very funny.” Her inner thighs were burning where the whip had licked her and so were some other…unmentionable areas. The pain was only getting worse the longer she lay there. Time to do something about it.

Despite the pain, Charlie somehow managed to lever herself out of the big Kindred’s lap. Stavros simply sat here while she did, obviously knowing she wouldn’t accept his assistance.

“I do not think you want to try using it yourself,” was all he said as she struggled to get off the couch.

“Thanks but I think I can manage,” Charlie said flatly. Eventually she was upright—a position which made her bit her lip with agony as her thighs rubbing together made the burns worse—much worse. Somehow, though, she managed to get herself to the bathroom with the ointment in hand.

As soon as she was inside with the door shut and locked, she pulled up her robes, got a handful of the pink ointment, and began rubbing it gingerly over her inner thighs and the other affected areas. As the cool tingling began to spread, she moaned in relief and sank down to sit on the edge of the large circular bathtub.

Her relief lasted exactly thirty seconds and then the pain came back—twice as bad as before.

“What the hell…?” At first Charlie thought she must be imagining it. But no, the burning was definitely back and growing worse by the second. It grew and grew until it felt like someone was holding a hot curling iron between her legs.

“Ow! Oh my God, that’s horrible!” she gasped. She stripped off her robe and stepped into the bathtub, splashing cold water over her burning inner thighs. Soon the pink ointment was all washed away—but it didn’t help.

Charlie blotted the affected area carefully with a towel while she clenched her jaw to keep from cursing with pain. What the hell was wrong? Had she used the ointment incorrectly? Well, obviously she had—she’d put it on herself instead of letting Stavros do it. But she didn’t remember reading anything about it making the pain worse if you tried to do it yourself. Then again, she hadn’t really read past the first sentence on the back of the tube.

Grabbing it again, she tried to concentrate on the instructions, reading through eyes that were tearing with pain.

Ointment of Sifra. Effective only if applied by the beloved’s hand. Warning: if applied any other way, burning will result. Only reapplication by the beloved will ease this symptom. In extreme cases…

But Charlie couldn’t read anymore. Wrapping herself in a towel, she flung open the bathroom door to find Stavros standing there silently.

“Did you know about this…this side effect?” She thrust the bottle at him.

“I did. I tried to warn you. You wouldn’t listen.”

“You just said I shouldn’t use it myself—not that it would make me feel like someone lit a fire between my legs if I did!” Charlie accused him.

He frowned. “Is that where you are hurting? I thought the whip fell only on your bottom and the tops of your thighs.”

“I…” Charlie felt her face flood with heat. “It didn’t just…”

“Never mind. Come to the bed—you can tell me where to apply the ointment there.”

Though it grated on her nerves, Charlie had no choice. She hobbled to the bed and collapsed onto it face first, feeling like an idiot and a freak.

“Good.” Stavros came and sat beside her. He took the ointment and squeezed some into his hand. “Now tell me where it hurts.”

“I…” Charlie bit her lip. God, this was so embarrassing. She’s just told him last night she wanted nothing to do with him, that she never wanted his hands on her again. And now, not even twenty-four hours later, she had to beg him to rub her most intimate areas with the pink ointment to make this awful burning stop.

“Does it hurt here?” Stavros’s big hand moved under the towel and between her legs, spreading the pink ointment carefully over the skin of her inner thighs.

“Yes.” Charlie sighed with relief as the burning began to ease and yet…though she felt the cool, tingling sensation it didn’t completely take the pain away as it had before. Or rather, the pain changed in some way to something no less intense just…different.

Well, it probably still feels weird because there are other areas that are hurting, she told herself. Areas she was going to have to tell Stavros about if she wanted relief. But God, she so didn’t want to tell him! Maybe I can just tough it out…maybe it’ll go away on its own eventually…

“Charlotte?” He was watching her closely and frowning. “Are you well now?”

“Just fine,” she lied through gritted teeth. “Just…fine.”

He frowned. “I wish you would not lie to me. You know I can feel your pain and if what I am feeling is correct, the whip hit you much higher than I originally thought.”

Charlie clenched her fists—well at least her hands were healed—and bit her lip until it almost bled. Damn it, she didn’t want to tell him, didn’t want to ask for his help…

“Charlie…” His use of her nickname made her look up. He had a look in his eyes that was half sorrow, half compassion. “Why are you so stubborn?” he asked softly. “Why is it so hard for you to ask for what you need?”

“You know why.” The burning was getting worse and she pressed her legs together tightly, as if she could put out the invisible flames that seemed to be eating at her. It only made the situation worse and she couldn’t suppress a yelp as she parted her legs quickly.

“All right.” Stavros sighed. “You don’t have to say it if it makes you uncomfortable. I think I can tell where your pain is.”

“Oh you can, can you?” Charlie asked in a choked voice. God, she was dying here.

He nodded. “If you’ll give me permission, I will spread the ointment where it needs to go. Only that and nothing more, I promise.”

Though it killed her to do it, Charlie really had no choice. With a brief jerk of her head, she nodded her agreement. Then she buried her face in her arms and opened her thighs a bit more. There was nothing else she could do.

She felt the blunt tips of his fingers a moment later, spreading the soothing ointment gently over the outer lips of her pussy. The cool tingling nearly took her breath away. As the awful pain at last began to fade, she felt herself beginning to relax. Stavros was being careful to only spread the ointment to areas he thought might be in pain so he didn’t touch inside her—a fact that gave her mingled feelings or relief and regret.

At last he pulled his hand out from under her towel.

“Better?”

“Yes. It’s…” Charlie frowned and bit the inside of her cheek. It was true that the worst of the pain was gone. But now a new sensation was growing between her legs. A new kind of heat—a sexual ache that seemed to start at the sensitive bundle of nerves at her center and throb through her entire pussy.

“Charlotte?” Stavros was looking at her anxiously. “What is it? I don’t feel your pain anymore but you still seem to be in distress.”

“It’s…it’s…” She rolled over on her back, taking care to keep her towel on. “Let me see that ointment again.”

Wordlessly, he handed it to her. Charlotte took her time studying it, though the heat continued to grow between her legs.

“Oh my God,” she muttered, staring at it in disbelief. “Come on, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What is it?” Stavros took the tube from her and studied the fine print at the very bottom. Then he read it out loud. “Ointment of Sifra. Effective only if applied by the beloved’s hand. Warning: if applied any other way, burning will result. Only reapplication by the beloved will ease this symptom. In extreme cases pain impulses may not be eradicated but will instead be transmuted to sexual need. If extreme urgency occurs, manual stimulation to orgasm by the beloved will ease the need. Do not attempt self stimulation as this will only lead to increased burning and pain.”

“Crap,” Charlie muttered, shifting on the bed. “Crap, crap, crap.”

Stavros raised an eyebrow at her.

“I take it you’re feeling the ‘extreme urgency’ mentioned on the back of the tube?”

“You know I am,” she snapped. “You can feel it, can’t you?”

“Actually, I cannot. I have felt your pleasure several times but only when we were in contact with each other in…” He cleared his throat. “In intimate situations. Last night, for instance. And the night before. But right now I am not touching you and I feel nothing—neither pain nor pleasure.”

“Well, it’s not really a pain. More like an itch that needs to be scratched.” Horny as a buck in rutting season. What an idiot I am! She couldn’t even look at him.

“Are you…greatly bothered? Do you want me to…” He cleared his throat. “Follow the directions on the back of the tube?”

“No, absolutely not,” Charlie declared, although she could barely sit still. She was getting sensitive between her legs, so sensitive she could barely stand it. She crossed and uncrossed them and squeezed her thighs together. Her clit was beginning to feel swollen and hot as though the lightest little breeze would make her come. And yet, no matter how she rubbed and squeezed her thighs together, she couldn’t quite make it to the edge. Probably just as well. The damn tube says if I make myself come I’ll make things worse. As if things could even get worse.

“Charlotte, please…” Stavros laid a hand on her arm, nearly making her jump out of her skin. “Please,” he murmured, catching her eyes with his. “Let me help you.”

“Why would you want to?” Charlie demanded, looking away with an effort. “After the things I said last night—”

“You were frightened,” he said softly. “And with good reason. I acted inexcusably and you cannot forgive me—I understand that. But if you could at least find it in you to trust me again, it would be my pleasure to help you.”

“Help me?” Charlie gave a bitter laugh. “Don’t you mean ‘manually stimulate’ me?” God, she couldn’t believe this!

“If necessary,” he murmured. “Listen, according to the instructions, one orgasm should ease your symptoms at once. And this does not have to be…intimate if you don’t want it to be.”

“It doesn’t have to be intimate?” Charlie gave a dry, barking laugh. “How in the hell can it help but be intimate?”

“Lay on your stomach, as you did before,” he instructed firmly. “Look away from me if you wish. Or close your eyes…imagine someone else if it helps.”

“I…” Charlie bit her lip with indecision. Was she really going to let him do this? The throbbing in her clit and the way her pussy felt so hot and swollen she could barely lay still gave her the answer she was seeking—the only answer possible. She had no choice.

“Charlotte?” He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting.

“Fine.” She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in her arms, as she had earlier. Then she spread her legs and waited.

It seemed to take forever but finally she felt his big warm hand sliding beneath her towel once more. She muffled a groan in the bedspread as he cupped her in his palm, just holding her for a moment. Unable to help herself, she pressed her pelvis down, nestling more fully into his grasp. She could feel her pussy opening for him, her wet inner folds already wet against his hand but still he didn’t make any other move to touch her.

“Stav…” she groaned. “Come on. If you’re going to do this just…just do it.”

“I thought it might be easier if you did it yourself,” he murmured. “Would you feel less violated if I simply spread you open and let you rub against my fingers?”

He suited actions to words, spreading her outer pussy lips and sliding two long fingers into her open folds to rest against her throbbing clit.

Charlie gave a gasp as a bolt of pleasure went through her. God, that felt good! She knew it shouldn’t but damn.

“That’s right,” she heard Stavros murmur behind her. “Take your time. Use me as you need to, falinda.”

Though she didn’t want it to, his soft, deep voice sent a thrill of desire through her and she felt her pussy getting even wetter. God, his touch on her was so gentle yet so firm and it felt so good to have his fingers inside her, rubbing against her inner pussy.

With a little moan, she began to work herself against him. It felt incredible—she was right on the edge…and yet somehow, she still couldn’t reach it. She needed…something else. Something to push her over. Suddenly she knew what it was.

“Stavros,” she gasped, still rocking against his fingers. “Stav…talk to me. Say…say things.”

He didn’t have to ask what kinds of things she needed to hear.

“I shouldn’t have used that ointment on you in the first place,” he murmured in that deep, growling voice that seemed to make her insides melt. “I should have used my essence. Should have spread your legs and licked you everywhere that damned whip hit you.”

“You…you should’ve?” Charlie knew damn well she shouldn’t be getting off on the image of him licking her again. On the idea that he wanted to heal her by tasting her and spreading his essence between her thighs. But damn it, she was getting closer and closer here and it was getting harder and harder to think. The world was narrowing down to her need to come and God, with this heat between her legs she really needed to—needed it worse than she ever had in her life.

“Damn right, I should’ve,” he growled softly. “I should have kissed you better, should have licked your thighs and your sweet little cunt until every last bit of your pain was gone. I wanted to, you know…wanted it so damned badly.”

“You…you like it?” Charlie gasped. She couldn’t help looking back at him to see the expression on his face. His eyes were half-lidded with lust and his fangs were out—long and sharp and lethal-looking.

“You know I love it, falinda,” he growled. His fingers had begun to move a little now. It was subtle at first but then he began circling her clit, shooting electric sensations of pleasure through her entire body with just that small, subtle motion of his hand. “Love your sweet scent and the taste of your honey in my mouth…the feel of your pussy quivering against me and around me when I penetrate you with my tongue. You feel so hot and wet and tight and you taste so good. Seven Hells, your flavor alone is enough to make me rock hard.”

“Are you…are you hard now?” Charlie moaned, barely knowing what she was saying.

“Painfully so.” Stavros shifted on the bed, clearly trying to make some room between his thighs. “But then, you could probably guess that.”

Charlie was right on the edge, the gently swirling fingertips circling her throbbing clit were just about to make her come. She just wanted one final image to send her crashing over the cliff, just a little more dirty talk to push her over and make her fly.

“Don’t really do it,” she panted. “But tell me… tell me what you’d like to do.”

She expected him to talk about fucking her…about shoving his thick cock deep in her pussy and taking her hard and long and fast. And at first, she wasn’t disappointed.

“I want to turn you over so I can look into your eyes,” he murmured, still stroking her clit. “That way I can see it in your face when you feel me enter you. I want to be eye-to-eye when I thrust home inside you and fill you up, when I claim you completely.”

“When you…when you claim me?” Charlie didn’t like the sound of that word—she didn’t like it. But clearly something in her body did. Her clit throbbed as he continued.

“When I make you mine, Charlie,” he murmured. “When I fill your sweet pussy with my seed and bite you to inject my essence at the same time. When I bond you to me forever.”

At the word “bond” her pleasure exploded. Charlie gave a strangled moan as body suddenly went into orbit, her orgasm crashing over her like a wave threatening to drown her with its intensity.

No, she thought, fighting the incredibly strong pleasure. No, I don’t want that…I can’t want that…I don’t want to be with a Kindred, not even Stavros. Not after what happened to Missy! I can’t…I won’t…

She pulled away from his touch the moment the pleasure began to die. Curling herself into a ball, she lay on her side panting and hating herself. Wishing she was dead.

“Charlotte?” Stavros’s voice beside her was tentative. “Are you well?”

“Hell, no I’m not well,” she snapped irritably. God, an orgasm was supposed to make you feel better—to help take the edge off. Instead Charlie felt like her entire body was one big ball of tension and guilt. How could she let herself want a man who was everything she hated? How could she betray Missy’s memory that way?

“Can I ask you something?” he murmured, after a moment.

“If you want to know why I asked you to talk dirty, it was only because I needed to get off,” Charlie snapped, turning her head to glare at him. “That’s all.”

“That wasn’t my question at all,” he said. “What I want to know is, why would you choose this for yourself?”

“Choose it? Choose what?” She half turned to face him, wondering what he was talking about.

“The whip. You were given a choice between reliving your worst memory and taking the fire whip—which was horribly painful. I know because I felt it—only an echo of it but that was bad enough,” Stav said. “My question is, what could have been so horrible that you would rather endure extreme physical agony rather than deal with it?”

“Ha,” Charlie said sharply. “Did you forget that talking about my past was what bought me that punishment in the first place?”

“Forgive me.” He looked abashed. “I never thought—”

“Doesn’t matter,” Charlie said, rolling back over so she didn’t have to look at him. “Even if I could talk about it, I wouldn’t. Not to you.”

“Why not?” he asked softly. “What do you have against me, Charlotte? Why do you hate me so? Is it because I couldn’t protect you from the whip?” His voice roughened. “I hate myself for that, you know. I thought I would go mad when I had to watch them whipping you and I couldn’t stop it or get to you to protect you.”

“It’s not that,” Charlie said in a low voice. “The whipping wasn’t your fault. And I know…I heard you ask to take it for me. The damn Joined Ones are sadists, that’s all.”

“I tried to take your pain,” he whispered. “But I could not. The barrier…it kept me from you and also kept me from absorbing your agony. I am so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” The pain and regret in his voice were almost enough to make her go to him. But she couldn’t do that—couldn’t let herself go soft. Not now when everything was within reach.

“I cannot help it. I should have protected you and I…could not.”

“That’s not why I can’t talk to you…can’t be with you.”

“Why then?” His deep voice was filled with pain. “Why, Charlotte? When there is so clearly something between us?”

“Because you’re Kindred.” It was all she was prepared to say. “And now I’m going to try and get some sleep. Good night, Stavros.” She closed her eyes and burrowed under the covers, pressing her face to the pillow to blot the tears that came no matter how she tried to stop them. Why did he affect her so much? And why couldn’t she stop these emotions? The guilt was tearing her apart inside.

Missy…Missy, I’m so sorry…I swear I won’t dishonor your memory. No matter what happens, no matter what I feel, I’ll never do that. I swear…

* * * * *

Stav lay in the dark beside her, listening to her breathe.

“Because you’re Kindred,” she’d said. Only that and nothing more. But what had happened to make her hate him and all his kind so much? And did she truly hate him? She responded to his touch—it didn’t seem that would be possible if she loathed him as much as she claimed.

She responded to your touch because she couldn’t help it—the damn ointment was making her too sensitive to help it, a grim little voice whispered in his head. And she only asked for your help because she had no other option. She hates you all right—believe it, Stavros. It’s the cold truth and no amount of wishing or hoping is going to change it.

Stav sighed and turned on his back. He didn’t blame Charlotte for the way she felt—he felt the same. First he had nearly gone feral and sexually attacked her after biting her last night and then he had been unable to protect her from being whipped by that damned Joined One. What good was he if he couldn’t even protect her from harm? And what good were the feelings he had for her if she didn’t feel the same?

No good. No damn good at all. But though he tried, he couldn’t get rid of them. They tormented him for hours until he finally fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * * * *

Charlie waited until the big Kindred’s breathing was even and calm and had been for at least twenty minutes. Then she stole silently out of bed and slipped into the crumpled novice robe she had discarded earlier. She only shivered a little as she left the warmth of the bed and put it on. The air was chilly but not arctic-cold as it had been before which was good. Hopefully the other changes she’d heard Nar’sa and Ta’no speaking of had been made too.

Tying the sash tightly around her waist, she slipped noiselessly out of the bedroom and stole across the carpeted floor to the front door. She held her breath for a moment as the door slid open, waiting for some kind of alarm. But it must have been removed just as their Hossan councilors had promised, because she heard nothing.

With a sigh of relief, Charlie left their rooms and headed for the long corridor that would take her to the Circle of Oneness. She didn’t like doing this without Stavros but she had no choice. He hadn’t been cleared to get through the barrier and into the inner circle—only she had. Besides, he would surely try to stop her if he knew what she had in mind.

I’ll sneak into the circle and see what kind of security is around the Heart, she told herself. If it was well guarded, she planned to pretend she was lost or sleep walking or something like that. But if it wasn’t—and really, what other security did they need other than the impenetrable barrier that stood at the entrance to the inner circle—she was going to grab it and run like crazy. She could be back in their rooms, waking Stavros and telling him they had to get to the ship in a few quick minutes. He might be angry but she knew he wouldn’t ask questions until they were safely away.

It’s going to be fine, she told herself as the door swooshed shut behind her. I’m going to get what we need and we’re going to get the hell out of here before…

Before she lost herself completely. Before she forgot everything she stood for and allowed herself to give in to feelings she shouldn’t be having for a man she knew she ought to hate.

Too late, whispered a little voice but Charlie pushed it aside. Everything was going to be all right—she was going to see to that herself.

“All right,” she muttered under her breath. “Heart of Love, here I come. Hope you’re in the mood to travel because you’re coming with me tonight.”

She didn’t notice the small, furry creature that hugged the shadows and kept several feet behind her as she moved. Didn’t see the small, beady red eyes that tracked her every move and sent a report back to its master who was light years away…

Chapter Twenty-eight

“So…now you make your move. Yes, and I shall make mine as well.” Ur stirred within his host as he monitored the internal feed from the tiny spy bot that followed the human girl, keeping track of her progress.

It was time—time to alert the authorities at J’lorgan’s Mind that they had a traitor in their midst. One who planned to steal their most prized artifact this very night.

He would have rubbed his hands together with anticipation except he still only had control over the left side of Two’s body. It was most irritating that he couldn’t seem to get more. Even after nights of practice, the right side remained closed to him.

Well, it wouldn’t be a problem for much longer, Ur promised himself as he watched the little human female steal silently down the long, metal corridors towards the treasure lying at the center of the resort.

Why exactly she wanted the Heart of Love still wasn’t clear but Ur intended to find that out. In fact, he planned to ask the authorities at the resort to hand Charlotte and her paramour, the annoying Blood Kindred, over to him at once. The girl he would torture to his heart’s content. But only after he took control of the Blood Kindred’s body. He was tired of being within an incompatible host. Two was troublesome and irritating—it was far better to take over a life form completely than to try and share control with them, he had found. And the young, strong body of the Blood Kindred, Stavros, would do nicely.

“Yes…nicely,” he muttered through the left side of Two’s mouth, being careful not to wake his sleeping host. “And now I think it’s time to make a call…”

* * * * *

Deep in the darkness of the Mother Ship, just a few thousand miles from where Two/Ur resided in the Dark Kindred destroyer, Six woke in the inky blackness bathed in sweat with his heart pounding.

“Gods!” his hoarse shout brought Mei-Li awake as well.

“Six? What is it? What’s wrong?” she gasped, sitting bolt upright and feeling for him.

“Mei-Li?” He reached for her, gathering her to him, holding her tightly for comfort. “Oh Gods…” His deep voice was nearly breaking and she could feel him trembling against her.

“Honey, what is it? What’s wrong?” she whispered, running a hand over his forehead as if to search for fever. “You’re drenched in sweat—was it another nightmare?”

“No, I…” Still shivering, Six drew a hand over his face, as thought trying to wipe away the horrible images that had pierced his mind. “I had a dream…I can’t remember it now but I know…”

“You know what?” Mei-Li urged. As a trained therapist she firmly believed in getting things out in the open.

“I know that the people they sent to J’lorgan’s Mind—the warrior Stavros and his female companion—what was her name?”

“Charlotte but she goes by Charlie. You know what about them?”

“They’re in danger.” Six drew in a deep, gasping breath. “Terrible danger. And there’s something else.”

“What, honey? Tell me,” Mei-Li urged.

Six clutched her tighter.

“I remember the last part of the prophesy. The one my mother taught me when I was just a child so many cycles ago.”

“Tell me,” Mei-Li ordered. “Quickly, before you lose it again. We need to tell Commander Sylvan.”

In a low, shaking voice, Six began to recite. Mei-Li fumbled for a pen and paper on the bedside table and turned the lamp on low, ready to record the last part of the prophesy, the missing piece of the puzzle that would hopefully tell them how to defeat the Dark Kindred once and for all.

“Cursed to find an early grave

Will be the one the Light to Save

The Pain of others he must feel

The wounds of others he can heal

To stop the evil he must find

The Heart of Love in J’lorgon’s Mind

To bring it to the void and cold

And cast it in, he must be bold.

For when the Dark is burned to ash

Only then will danger pass

But when it does, it steals his breath

To seal Dark’s doom, the fate is…

He paused for a moment and Mei-Li touched his arm.

“Go on, sweetheart—the fate is what?”

“Death.” Six’s deep voice was low and harsh. “Gods, Mei-Li—the fate is death.”

Chapter Twenty-nine

Charlotte held her breath as she pressed her palm to the silver plate beside the red door. She knew she was cleared to enter the inner circle but she couldn’t help expecting a shock every time she had to touch one of these damn things.

To her relief, her hand was outlined in welcoming green light at once. She presented her eye to the ocular scanner and a soft chime sounded. Then, without further ado, the crimson door slid to the side, allowing her entry.

“Okay, here goes,” Charlie muttered to herself. She held her chin high and walked deliberately, not rushing, trying to look like she belonged there in the inner circle. Not that there was anyone to see her—the long metal hallway appeared to be completely deserted. That suited Charlie fine but she kept up her act anyway just in case the whole place was being monitored.

To her dismay, the long corridor ended in another red door. But before she could get too upset, it slid silently to one side to allow her to pass. Charlie walked into a large, round room with a vast metal cylinder dominating its center. The rest of the room was bare and unremarkable but the cylinder drew her eyes. It was a bright, burnished gold, so clean and perfect she could easily see her own reflection in it.

Like some kind of a golden mirror, she thought. Is that where the Heart is?

It seemed likely. The room was suffused with a soft, pink light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Carefully, Charlie picked her way across the metal floor to study the vast, curving side of the cylinder. It was completely smooth, with no gaps or cracks at all.

Well how am I supposed to get to the damned Heart thing? she wondered. She circled the entire cylinder, which took several minutes—the space contained inside it must be vast—without finding a way in. It made her wonder how big the Heart was. She had been thinking that it was one of the things mentioned in the Kindred High Council meeting—a plant or a crystal or something small she could hold in her hands. But what if it was actually something huge and immovable? What if she couldn’t even lift it, let alone run nimbly off with it into the sunset with it?

And that’s supposing I can get to it in the first place. How the hell do you get into this thing?

Tentatively, she pressed her palm to the burnished, curving surface of the golden cylinder. Despite walking all the way around it, this was the first time she had dared to touch it and she wasn’t sure what to expect. There was a soft humming sound and an electrical tingle ran up her arm but to her disappointment, nothing else happened.

“Damn it!” Charlie snarled under her breath. “How the hell does it open?”

“It doesn’t. Not for the likes of you.” The hateful, familiar voice behind her made her jump. Looking up, she saw another imagine reflected behind hers in the golden surface of the cylinder. One with two faces—one male and one female. Both were filled with outraged anger.

“Joined One!” she gasped, turning quickly to face them…it…whatever you wanted to call the creature.

“Charlotte.” The female face’s lips were thin with disapproval. “Whatever can you be doing here in a forbidden area in the middle of the night?”

“I was…” Charlie swallowed hard and heard a dry clicking in the back of her own throat. “I was…was drawn by the Heart of Love,” she said, improvising. “It…it called to me in the middle of the night. It spoke of healing and…and forgiveness.” God, she really hoped the Joined One was buying this! “And it said I needed to come and be near it to achieve…uh, wholeness.”

“Wholeness?” The male face had a skeptical look. “In what way are you broken?”

“Well, I…I’m…” Charlie groped for an answer but before she could come up with anything the female face cut her off.

“Never mind, Charlotte,” it said, smiling cruelly. “Why should you tell us when you can show us instead?”

Charlie began to get a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“What do you mean? Are you going to ‘scan’ me again?”

“No indeed. We think the time for such benign, noninvasive techniques is past,” the male face answered. It, too was wearing a small, cruel smile. “We think it is time that you entered the Temple of Regret.”

“Where you will relive your worst and most painful memories,” the female face continued. “And we will be able to observe as well.”

“But…but…I thought you didn’t like to talk about the past.” Charlie began backing away but in a flash her wrist was caught in Ye’ha’Na’ho’s vise-like grip.

“We will not be talking about it but only observing it,” the male face pointed out.

“And then we can determine if you are, as you claim, broken enough for the Heart of Love—an artifact which has not spoken to anyone in the last five hundred cycles—to call to you and beg you to come and be made whole.”

“No…no, please!” Charlie pulled against it uselessly. She had police training in hand to hand combat but she knew to attack the Joined One was death. Her only option was to try to get away but the thing’s grip on her arms was as unbreakable as a steel handcuff. Slowly but surely it dragged her out of the vast circular room and down a long, winding hallway that was vaguely familiar.

By the time Charlie recognized the high blue walls of the maze-like corridors and knew where they were going, they were already there. Before she knew it, she was shivering before the entrance to the tunnel-like hallway with its eerie lighting and its pervasive feeling of dread. A chilly blast of dank air blew towards her, lifting the hair from her forehead and cooling the sweat which had formed on her brow.

Charlie shivered. “You…you don’t have to do this, you know,” she said, trying to sound calm and failing miserably. “I might have been mistaken about the Heart calling to me. In fact, now that I think about it, it was probably just a really vivid dream. I have them all the time. I—”

“Silence!” the male face of the Joined One snarled. “You have been caught trespassing in the sacred Circle of Oneness and you will bear the punishment allotted to that crime.”

“But…but I…” Charlie’s mouth was dry and her heart was pounding. “Please,” she whispered. “Please don’t make me go in there!”

The cruel smiles on the faces of the Joined One broadened and the female face actually let out a laugh that sounded to Charlie like a witch’s cackle.

“You will enter the Temple of Regrets now or you will be put to death. Make your choice,” the male face said harshly. “And do so at once.”

The Joined One made a motion with its free hand and Charlie saw that it had some kind of a weapon. It looked like a tazer or a stun gun but it would probably do hell of a lot more than stun or shock her if the Joined One pulled the trigger. She thought about protesting that they couldn’t kill one of their paying customers but the light of madness was flickering behind the two sets of glowing eyes. Charlie had an idea this creature did just about anything it wanted to and if it wanted to kill her, it would.

“All right,” she whispered, trying to straighten her spine. “All right. I…I’m going.”

“Go then. And if you so much as turn your head before you enter the temple, your life is forfeit.” At last the thing let go of her wrist.

Charlie nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was shaking her entire body and the short hairs at the back of her neck were standing on end. The feeling of dread coming from the mouth of the tunnel-like hallway was awful—like the breath of the tomb blowing in her face. At the end of it was a black door—one she was horrible afraid to enter. Still, she had to go in—what other choice did she have?

She had an impulse to fall on her knees before the Joined One and confess everything—to tell why she was here in the first place and beg for mercy. But what good would that do? It would only give it another reason to punish me, she thought, remembering the crazy look in both sets of eyes. And besides, I won’t betray my home world like that!

“Go on!” the Joined One insisted and she felt something hard poke her in the back—the weapon. She couldn’t stall any longer—it was time to go.

Charlie straightened her shoulders and stiffened her spine. I won’t beg and cry. I won’t let them see I’m afraid. I won’t! Lifting her chin and clenching her hands into fists, she stepped slowly toward the entrance of the dark tunnel to meet her past and face her doom.

* * * * *

She was just disappearing into the black doorway when Stavros finally got there. He had dreamed of her slipping out of bed and walking the hallways of the resort alone that night. Had seen her go through the invisible barrier that guarded the Circle of Oneness and watched as she walked around and around the vast golden cylinder at the center.

When he watched Charlotte being confronted by the Joined Ones, he had the uneasy feeling one gets when a perfectly pleasant dream turns suddenly turns dark. And by the time they were marching her through the maze of blue corridors, he knew that this vision was more than just a dream or a nightmare—it was real and really happening. Charlotte was in danger and he had to get to her.

Trying to wake up was like swimming upward through thick, viscous syrup. His sleeping self seemed paralyzed by the power of the dream and for the longest time he couldn’t move though he was trying with all his might.

Charlotte needs me…must go to her. She needs me! I must not fail her again!

It was this thought and the overwhelming urgency he felt to protect her that finally broke through the paralysis of deep sleep and allowed him to swim to the surface of consciousness.

When his eyes finally popped open, Stav wasn’t a bit surprise to find Charlotte’s side of the bed empty. Nor did he expect to find her taking a bath or sleeping on the couch. He headed straight out of the door intent on finding her in the place the dream had promised she would be—the Temple of Regret.

And that was why he saw just a hint of her white robe as she disappeared into the black doorway at the end of the dim hallway.

“You bastards!” He rounded on the Joined One who still held the weapon in its hand. “How could you do that—force her to confront her past? You know how she fears it—you must know! Let her out of there now or I swear by the Goddess—”

“You’ll what—kill us with your bare hands?” The female face smiled at him and for the first time, Stavros though that the smile and the look in those was not…quite…sane.

“We think not,” the male voice said coolly. “But as you are so fearful for your mate’s safety, why do you not join her in the Temple?” The Joined One waved the weapon at him again. “Go on. Go. If you hurry you may catch her before too much damage has been done. Though we seriously doubt it.”

Stavros had a silent struggle within himself—part of him wanted to wrap his hands around the Joined One’s freakish throat and throttle the unnatural thing and the other part was desperately afraid for Charlotte and anxious to go after her.

His fear for Charlotte won.

He pointed at the Joined One. “You will be sorry for this. When this is over, I swear the regrets you have will fill this whole damn temple to overflowing.”

Then he turned and ran down the tunnel-corridor, trying to get to Charlotte in time. The Joined One’s mocking laughter—cackling and booming at the same time—followed him until he stepped through the sliding black door. Then stopped at once, as though it had been cut off by a knife.

Stavros looked around—he was within the Temple of Regrets.

But where was Charlotte?

Chapter Thirty

Charlie wandered through the darkness, trying not to jump at every little noise. So far she hadn’t seen anything at all that reminded her of her past—just a lot of blank, black corridors that seemed to lead nowhere.

It reminded her of a haunted house with people waiting around the corners to jump out and scare her. Only she had the feeling that what she was about to see what a hell of a lot worse than any rubber monster mask or fake ghoul dripping with stage blood. A hell of a lot worse and a hell of a lot more personal…

The feeling of dread still hung thick in the air like a low-level poisonous gas she was forced to inhale with every breath. It made her feel dizzy and sick to her stomach with fear though she tried her best to remain strong.

“It’s all right,” she muttered to herself, clenching her fists at her side. “You can get through this, Charlie—everything is going to be all right if you just—”

Her words were cut off by a gasp when she rounded a corner and a room suddenly opened up in front of her. It was a room she recognized—the kitchen from the old house on Baker Street. The pretty yellow butterfly curtains still hung in the windows and there was the fruit bowl with just one brown banana at the bottom. But though she hadn’t seen the room in years, what drew her eyes were her mother and father, standing between the counter and the kitchen table. They were fighting—fighting the same way they had when she was little.

“I saw you with that filthy little whore down at the drugstore,” Momma accused shrilly. “Hanging all over you like the cheap little slut she is—I thought it was your job to arrest prostitutes, not sleep with them!”

“And what if I did sleep with her?” Daddy taunted. He hooked his thumbs in the thick black belt that held up his uniform pants and gave Momma that lazy, insolent smile he knew made her crazy. His eyes flashed cruelly. “So what if I did, Lorain? She’s a hell of a lot younger and prettier than your sorry fat ass.”

“You son of a bitch! I never should have married you—never! If I hadn’t let you knock me up and saddle me with your two snot-nosed brats I could have made something of myself,” Momma shouted, not caring of Charlie or Missy heard her. “I had a scholarship. I could have had a life.”

“Sure,” Daddy sneered. “Some life, Maureen. You spread your legs so easy back then you would’ve wound up pregnant and dropped out of school in the first semester. Only difference would be that some other poor bastard would be putting up with your shit right now.”

“You fucking asshole!” Momma screamed and threw a plate at his head. Daddy ducked and it busted into a million shards on the wall behind his head.

“Missed me, you twat,” he jeered.

Mamma screamed in inarticulate furry and ran at him, her hands outstretched like claws. Daddy caught her by the wrists and laughed in her face. He never hurt her—not physically anyway—but he seemed to find her rage amusing and enjoyed whipping her into a screaming frenzy.

Just as she had when she was a child, Charlie felt the familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Momma hated her and Missy for coming along and ruining her life, she knew that well enough. After Daddy was through teasing her, she would come looking for them and take out her rage for the wasted years and her ruined life. Her weapon of choice was usually the old wooden hairbrush but sometimes she cut a switch from the lilac bush outside instead and whipped them until there were bleeding stripes on the backs of their legs. If no switches suited her, a wire coat hanger would do just as well.

But it wasn’t the coming punishment that made Charlie want to run bury her face in her grandma’s quilt and never look up again. It was her Daddy’s next words that did that.

“Someday I’ll have enough of your horseshit and I’ll just up and leave you. Leave you to raise the girls alone—is that what you want, Maureen? You want me to leave and never come back?”

Oh God, no Daddy! Please…please don’t go! Charlie’s heart thumped painfully in her chest. Despite everything, she loved her dad. He was the one who took her on his knee and read her books at night—if he wasn’t working the night shift, that was. Or out with one of his whores, as her mother often said. He was the one who bandaged her cuts and took her out hunting with him during deer season.

Her mother was cold and withdrawn—angry and sullen at the way her life had turned out. But Daddy, though he wasn’t there nearly as often as she would have liked, was affectionate and sweet. He smelled like leather and clean sweat and cigarette smoke and when she climbed in his lap it was the only time Charlie ever felt really safe. The idea that he might leave and never look back terrified her.

In that moment, Charlie was no longer a grown woman with a career and a mind of her own. She was eight all over again, crying and shivering as she watched from behind the upstairs banister as her parents fought and shouted and hated each other below.

“No, Daddy,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself to try and still her shaking. “No, Daddy, please don’t leave me…please don’t leave…”

“Hey—its okay. Don’t listen—don’t look.” Suddenly Missy was there—the ten year old Missy who Charlie had loved and looked up to. She put an arm around Charlie’s shoulders and led her away.

“Oh Missy!” Charlie held her sister tight. “I’ve missed you so much. You’re the only one I could ever really talk to. I—”

But suddenly Missy melted away, leaving nothing but a blank, black corridor.

Charlie looked around wildly. “Momma? Daddy? Missy?”

Everyone was gone. Did that mean the vision was over? Would she be allowed to leave the Temple of Regrets now?

Charlie started walking again, looking hopefully for the exit.

That was a pretty bad memory. Momma and Daddy always fighting all the time…maybe it was bad enough to count as my whole punishment. Maybe…

She turned the corner and found herself in another familiar room—her bedroom.

“Come here, you little brat.” Momma was standing there stone-faced with a long, stingy-looking switch in her hand. “Come here and get what’s coming to you.”

And to her horror, Charlie found she couldn’t say no. Couldn’t do anything but walk towards the switch and the beating that was waiting for her…

“Charlotte? Charlotte, where are you?” Stavros wandered through the maze of black corridors calling and calling for her. He was getting hoarse and yet still he couldn’t find her. Where could she be? He would swear she had been only a minute ahead of him in entering the Temple of Regrets but she was nowhere to be found. How had she gotten so far ahead of him in such a short period of time?

“Charlotte?” he called again. “Char—”

Suddenly he rounded a corner and came to a room he recognized. It was the living area of his childhood domicile back on Tranq Prime. The pale purple stream of super hot water that heated the underground home ran through the channel that subdivided the room and emitted soft clouds of steam.

On one side of the stream his mother was pacing, her long tharp dragging the ground. Her lovely ice-blonde hair hung down her back in a river of pale gold and her white-blue eyes flashed dangerously as she looked at his father. When he was a child, Stavros had been convinced his Maman was the most beautiful female in the whole universe and indeed, she was truly lovely—as lovely and untouchable as a statue made of ice.

His Patro was reclining on one of the soft low chairs covered in vranna hide. He listened helplessly as Stav’s mother berated him.

“It’s your fault,” she said in a low, angry voice not meant to carry past the room. “Your filthy Kindred genes that brought this about! No pureblooded Prime has ever been affected by the Curse! Not a single male in my family has ever been marked. And now, look—our only son, ruined. And all because of you.”

“He isn’t ruined, Landa,” his father protested weakly. “The Curse doesn’t mean immediate death—there are many who can live for years if they just—”

“If they just what? Isolate themselves from everyone?” She gave a bitter laugh. “He’ll have to do that anyway. The other children will never accept him. He’ll be an outcast—a pariah. And what other mother will want to let him play with their child? He’ll have no friends—none.”

Watching invisibly from the sidelines, just as he had when he was a child, Stavros recoiled at the tone of bitterness and anger in his beloved mother’s voice. The back of his neck, where the black mark had first started to show, itched and burned. The skin there felt suddenly raw, as it had when he was little and had tried to scrub the blackness off.

He’d scrubbed until he bled and the tears came to his eyes but the mark remained as stubbornly black and ugly as ever. Still, he kept trying. He’d thought that if only he could get rid of it, his Maman might start loving him again. Ever since it had first appeared, she hadn’t been in once to tuck him in and kiss him goodnight. And when he tried to hug her, she pushed him gently but firmly away, keeping him at arm’s length as though he had some sickness that might be catching if she got too close.

“The boy will be all right,” his father said, a little too heartily, Stavros thought. “He might have a hard time of it at first but he’ll learn to live with it—he’ll have to.”

“But what about us? What about me?” his Maman demanded shrilly. “We’ll be known as the ones who produced a defective child. A Sin Eater for the Goddess’s sake! How can we ever live that down? How can I look any of my friends in the eye ever again?”

“Are you worried about Stav’s fate or your own?” his father demanded harshly. “He’s the one who bears the mark, Landa, not you.”

His mother made a face.

“Of course you don’t understand. I never should have joined with you in the first place—or let you talk me into having a child! I should have terminated the pregnancy as soon as I found out I was carrying him. To think—a Sin Eater! It will mar our entire bloodline! Not that yours was all that pure to begin with.”

They continued to bicker but Stavros didn’t want to hear any more. Standing in the shadows, he clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. Even as a child he’d understood what they were saying. That he never should have been born. That he ought to have been gotten rid of—thrown away like refuse.

To hear his beloved Maman speak so of him pierced his heart like a poison dart. Part of him was once more only six cycles old, watching from the dark hallway and wishing he was dead. His breath came short and his eyes burned but he refused to let the tears fall. There was no point in crying—this was his fate from now on. And yet, it still hurt terribly. Overhearing this conversation was the first time he’d understood what he was—worthless. A burden. A freak unworthy of love.

He’d wanted to hate his mother for that, but he never could. She was so beautiful—so untouchable. A goddess that he worshipped. He didn’t dare to stop loving her, even if she had stopped loving him.

Cursed, he thought. I’m Cursed and Maman hates me for it. Hates me because it makes her look bad too. She’ll never love me again. Never hug me or kiss me goodnight or care about me and all because of this awful black mark on my back…

The mark on his back. The curving black lines that sealed his fate. The hateful sign of a Sin Eater which his mother had avoided at all costs. In fact, only one female had ever touched him there, only one hadn’t recoiled from the ugly, revolting thing. Charlotte…

Charlotte! I’m here to find Charlotte.

He mentally shook himself and turned away from the scene. This isn’t why I’m here. I have to find her—where is she?

With a huge effort, he managed to tear himself away from the gut wrenching scene between his father and mother and make his way down the black, twisting hallways again. He had to find Charlotte. If she was experiencing anything like what he had just gone through, she was going to be an emotional mess by the time he found her. If only he could find her…

“Charlotte!” he called, raising his voice. “Charlotte, please—where are you? Where are you?”

* * * * *

Far in the distance, Charlie thought she heard someone calling her name. Could that be…Stavros? But what was he doing here? He was still asleep in the big bed back in their rooms, wasn’t he?

She felt like she’d been wandering for hours but it might have only been minutes—time stretched like taffy in this house of horrors the Hossans called the Temple of Regrets. She had already relived so many awful things it seemed like her capacity for horror and sorrow must be exhausted and yet somehow the damn place kept pulling out new cards, showing her pieces of her past that made her angry or scared or horribly sad all over again.

What else can it throw at me? she wondered tiredly. She had already seen her parents fighting, felt her mother beating her, and watched as her favorite childhood pet, a golden Lab called Sunshine, was run over by a neighbor’s pickup. Sunny lay crying with pain in the street until Daddy went out with his shotgun and made her stop and Charlie cried right along with her, experiencing the loss all over again.

It was exhausting and awful and she was beginning to feel like she had no more tears left—she was all cried out. She wandered the twisting hallways in a haze, drugged with emotion. God, can’t take much more of this. Please, just let me out of here. Please just let me go home…

Then she heard her sister’s voice coming down the hallway, calling her.

“Charlie? Charlie, please…”

“Missy?” Charlie picked up the pace, looking for her sister. Part of her knew this was all an awful illusion but it had been years since she’d seen Missy. Even seeing her briefly in a vision was better than nothing. If she could just hold her sister in her arms and tell her how sorry she was, tell her how much she missed her…

She rounded the corner and found herself right outside her sister’s bedroom door.

“Charlie,” Missy’s voice came more faintly this time. “Charlie, he’s coming for me. The Dark one…he’s coming and he’ll never let me go.”

Suddenly Charlie knew what she was going to see when she opened that door, painted a cheerful butter yellow with daisy appliqués in the corners. She knew and she wanted to draw back the hand that was reaching for the knob but she couldn’t—it was already in motion.

As if in a nightmare, she saw her hand turn the knob and watched the yellow door swing open. Inside, Missy’s bedroom was lovely—decorated in cream and pink and butter yellow. There was a canopy bed against one wall and set of French doors leading out onto a balcony covered with climbing ivy. Missy had loved this room—she’d spent hours getting it just the way she wanted it. The result was that it was the most cheerful room in the house.

But something was wrong in her sister’s room today. Something was off.

“Missy?” she heard herself call as she walked into the room. “Missy, please…”

Then she saw her sister lying in bed. Just lying there, looking up at the canopy with its daisy and butterfly pattern as though she was thinking about life and wondering what she might like for breakfast.

“Missy, quit playing around,” Charlie heard herself say, just as she had so many years ago. “Come on—Momma made waffles for once and you know how she gets when we let them get cold.”

Missy didn’t answer. Her brownish-blonde hair was spread across the pillow and her big, china blue eyes were open wide but she didn’t speak, didn’t even stir.

It was then that Charlie started to get the bad feeling in the bottom of her stomach. Missy had been so worried lately—the dreams of the dark Kindred warrior and his brother who were coming to claim her had been keeping her up night after night. She’d been telling Charlie just the night before how she feared them—mostly the dark warrior. She was so afraid that once he got her he would never let her go.

“Missy?” she whispered again and that was when she saw the empty pill bottle clutched in her sister’s cold hand and saw the note lying on her chest.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, not wanting to go closer but unable to help herself. “Oh, no…oh Missy, no…please…please no.”

* * * * *

Stav finally found her when he heard her weeping down one of the long black corridors. She was standing in a bedroom—clearly one she remembered from Earth, judging from the furniture and decorations. Lying on the sleeping platform was a girl who looked remarkably like Charlotte except she had blue eyes instead of brown. Eyes that stared sightlessly up into Charlotte’s face as Charlotte wept and cried and begged her to get up, to breathe, to not be dead.

This must be her sister—must be Missy, Stavros thought. His heart clenched as tight as a fist and he wanted to go to her. But something prevented him—an invisible barrier as impenetrable as the one that guarded the Circle of Oneness. It kept him out—forced him to be just an observer to the events unfolding in the room.

Charlotte shook her sister and then pushed and pounded on her chest, clearly trying some kind of resuscitation method. When that didn’t work, she screamed for her mother who came running. She in turn called a man Stav assumed was Charlotte’s father. His face went grim and still and he made calls that resulted in men in official uniforms rushing in and out of the house. And all the while, Charlotte sat in a corner of the room, clutching the note she had found on her sister’s chest and crying.

Then two new figures came into the room—males Stav recognized.

“Commander Lock?” His eyes widened as he watched. “And Commander Deep?” The Twin Kindred came into the bedroom, Deep being led by Charlotte herself. She showed him her sister’s body, lying stiff and still on the bed. Then she shoved the note at him—the last thing her sister had ever written.

“She wrote this?” Commander Deep asked, his voice shaking. “Before she…”

“Killed herself. Yes,” Charlotte said flatly. “She was so afraid of what you were going to do to her. So afraid she would rather be dead than let you get her.” She ran both hands through her hair distractedly. “Miranda had her whole life ahead of her. She was in college—she was going to be a vet because she loved animals. Did you know that? Did you know anything about her except that you wanted her?”

“This was never our intention,” Deep protested. “We’d been dream sharing for weeks. I knew she was frightened of us…of me. But I never thought—”

“That she’d go this far? I didn’t either.” Charlotte’s got high and breathless and she sank to the floor beside her sister’s bed. “I knew something wasn’t right last night. I never should have left her. Never should have left her…Oh, Missy…Missy…”

Commander Deep said that he bore the blame for the sister’s death but Charlotte was plainly past hearing anything he or Commander Lock had to say. She was weeping on the floor, crumpled in a heap of misery and pain.

Stav’s heart ached to see her agony. He wanted nothing more than to gather her into his arms but the barrier was still in place and even if it hadn’t been, he doubted she would want him touching her. She would never want any Kindred touching her and now Stav knew why. Missy had killed herself to avoid being claimed—had actually taken her own life because she feared to be taken by Commanders Lock and Deep.

No wonder Charlotte hates us, he thought grimly, looking at the crumpled note in her hand. I don’t blame her. I would hate any people I held responsible for the death of one I loved so dearly and so desperately too.

But even if she hated him, that didn’t change the feelings he had for her. And right now, what he wanted to do more than anything was hold and protect her—if she would let him.

“Charlotte!” he shouted, banging his fist against the invisible barrier. “Charlotte, it’s not real! Listen to me—it’s not real!”

Slowly her head came up and she looked in his direction. Stav felt a splinter of hope. If she could hear him, maybe he could get her to see him too. Seeing someone who didn’t belong in her past might break the cycle she was stuck in. If he could just get to her, just hold her, he had a feeling they could get out of the Temple of Regrets together.

“Charlotte!” he shouted again. “Listen to me—it’s Stavros. Come to me—follow my voice.”

Slowly she rose from the floor and staggered towards him. Her eyes were wide and shocked like someone who has just survived the blast of a bomb but she kept coming towards him as Stav called her name.

At last they were face to face with only the barrier between them. Stav pressed hard against it but it remained solid.

“Charlotte,” he pleaded. “I can’t do this alone—you have to help me.”

“I…I don’t know how.” She sagged against the barrier, looking almost weary enough to pass out. “I just…I can’t anymore, Stav. I can’t.” Her voice was a ragged whisper.

“You can,” he urged gently. He tried to keep his voice calm but his mind was a frenzy of worry. What if she went unconscious with the barrier still between them? Would she be trapped here forever, condemned to repeat this awful scene every time she woke? The scenario was grim but not unlikely, he judged. Not unlikely at all considering how crazy and sadistic the Joined One had turned out to be.

“Stav…” she whispered, sinking down the barrier. “I’m…I…”

“Charlotte, no!” He crouched down to be near her. “No, listen to me. The events you were witnessing aren’t real. They’re illusions brought on by the Tempe of Regrets and the Joined One. Just tell yourself that—please!”

“Not…real?” she whispered, looking up at him.

“Not real,” he assured her.

“Not…not real.” Was it his imagination or had her voice gotten stronger? “This isn’t real,” she said, lifting her chin as some of her old spirit and fire came back. “Those bastards made me live through it all over again but it didn’t just happen—it happened years ago. It’s not real!”

With her last words, the barrier between them melted and she fell into Stavros’s waiting arms.

“Charlotte…falinda,” he murmured, gathering her close.

She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest like an exhausted child.

“Stav, please—get us out of here.”

“I’ll try,” he said grimly.

Rising easily, he shifted her slight weight so that she was pressed against him. He couldn’t carry her like a child—the black corridors of the Temple of Regret were too claustrophobically narrow for that. And yet, he didn’t want to put her down—didn’t want to risk losing her again.

Charlotte seemed to understand the problem which she solved by wrapping her legs around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder. Stavros put a hand under her bottom, supporting her, and wrapped the other arm across her back. She gave a little moan of pure weariness and closed her eyes.

“Let’s go,” he said and began the long walk to try and find his way back through the maze.

* * * * *

It seemed like they were walking forever. Or rather, Stavros was. Charlie knew she ought to ask if he was tired and wanted to put her down but honestly, she didn’t feel like she could walk on her own right now. She was too emotionally spent. Experiencing Missy’s death all over again had drained her completely. She literally had nothing left.

The big Kindred marched on tirelessly, following twists and curves in the confusing hallways without hesitation which Charlie hoped meant they were slowly but surely getting to the end of the horrible maze inside the temple.

But their progress was impeded several times when they were stopped by scenes from his past. Charlie saw him in school as a kid and watched the first time the other children saw his mark and found out he was Cursed. They mocked and shouted at him and when he got into a fight with a boy much larger than him, it was Stavros who was punished and sent him in disgrace even though the other boy had started it.

Then she saw other scenes from his childhood—more subtle but just as hurtful. His mother refusing to hug him, his father keeping him at arm’s length. The terrible loneliness and isolation he felt until he at last was old enough to go out to the Mother Ship and leave his home planet of Tranq Prime. Other Kindred didn’t care so much about his Sin Eater status and for the first time he was able to have a more or less normal life. Well, other than feeling the pain of everyone around him all the time, that was.

Even as emotionally worn out as she was, Charlotte couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. He’d had a crappy childhood too—just like she had. Growing up marked as a Sin Eater hadn’t been easy for him, especially when he hadn’t had much support from home. At least she’d had Missy—Stavros had had no one. No one at all.

Every time a scene from his childhood happened Stavros stood still for a moment and she felt him taking deep breaths. Then he muttered under his breath, “Not real. It’s not real.”

After a moment of tense concentration in which she felt his whole, muscular body shiver against hers, the scene would fade and they were able to continue on their way.

Thankfully, the Temple didn’t show Charlie any more of her own past though she half expected to see her mother’s heart attack or her father’s slow death by lung cancer. But neither of those had hurt her as badly as Missy’s suicide. Presumably the temple knew it had thrown the worst thing it had at her and now it had no more ammunition. Or maybe it could sense that she had no more emotion to spend, no matter what it showed her.

Charlie tried to feel something…anything…but she just couldn’t. She couldn’t even summon guilt that she was letting a Kindred warrior hold her close and carry her this way. She knew she ought to be angry with him—with all of them for what had happened to Missy. And she ought to hate herself for feeling comforted by Stavros’s strong arms around her. But she couldn’t feel any of that—she was just numb. So numb she began to wonder if she would feel anything ever again.

At last she heard the big Kindred give a hoarse exclamation.

“Look!”

Lifting her head wearily from his shoulder she saw a bright line of light—like a crack in a door—at the far end of the hallway they were currently traversing.

Oh please, oh please… Charlie thought fervently. She had a terrible fear that the Temple was just teasing them—holding out false hope which would be snatched back at the last moment.

Stavros must have had the same thought because he started to walk faster and faster until soon he was almost running. He burst from the Temple of Regrets with Charlie clinging to him, her heart beating like a jackhammer. She blinked, finding even the dim light hard on her eyes, but as the familiar blue hallways that surrounded the spooky tunnel-like entrance to the temple came into view, she knew that they were truly out at last.

“Out. We’re out,” Stavros said hoarsely, echoing her thoughts. He took a deep, shuddering breath. “Thank the Goddess, I didn’t think we would make it.”

“You didn’t?” Charlie looked at him. “Then why did you keep going?”

“I had to,” he said grimly. “I knew if I gave up and let myself stop, we’d never get out. We would’ve been eaten alive in there by the temple—by whatever it is that makes bad memories into visions.”

Charlie shivered. The idea that the temple was alive in some way hadn’t occurred to her and she was glad it hadn’t. It made her feel like she had escaped from a living haunted house—a sentient monster that wanted to feast on her feelings.

Well it should’ve had enough from me to keep it full for a month, she thought dully. I don’t know what else it could do—what else it could make me feel. Right now I’m just exhausted. Then it occurred to her that Stavros probably was too. He’d been hauling her around for over an hour through that house of horrors—he was probably dead on his feet.

“Thank you for carrying me,” she said stiffly. “You’re probably really tired. I should get down now.”

She started to unwrap her legs from around his waist but he held her by the waist, not letting her go.

“It is all right,” he rumbled softly. “I am not tired. But you still look fatigued—let me hold you awhile longer.”

Charlie bit her lip. “Why…why would you want to? I must look a mess right now.” After sobbing her heart out inside the awful Temple of Regrets she was sure her eyes were red and her hair was crazy—in other words, she wasn’t going to be winning any beauty pageants right now.

Stav sighed. “I confess I am…reluctant to let you go. Knowing as I do that you will certainly never let me hold you again.”

“You think I’m still mad at you?” Charlie asked. “Because…”

“Because of what happened to your sister,” he said gently. “Charlotte, I saw everything. Forgive me for intruding on your privacy but I could not help it—the scene played out in front of me and I was worried about you.”

Charlie gave a broken little laugh that felt more like a sob.

“That’s all right. I saw crap from your past too, if you recall. I guess…I guess there’s no hiding anything in there.” She nodded over her shoulder at the Temple of Regrets.

“That is certainly true,” he said grimly. “But I wanted you to know I understand your point of view now. I know why you hate my people—why you hate me. And I do not blame you.”

Charlie shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t…don’t hate anybody right now. I just feel…numb.”

“You’re in shock,” he murmured. “Having to re-live such traumatic events is wearing to the emotions.”

“Wearing is right.” She sighed and let her head rest on his broad shoulder again. God he smelled good—that was nice. “I’m all worn out,” she whispered.

“Of course you are.” He rubbed her back soothingly with one big hand. “What you need is a hot bath and a long rest.”

“Which is exactly what you are not going to get.” The familiar voice ringing out behind them made Charlie jump. It occurred to her belatedly that she hadn’t seen the Joined One since they had exited the temple. Where they hell had the freakish thing gone to?

Her questions was answered by a sudden rustling at the far end of one long blue corridor. Out of it stepped the Joined One, a cruel smile playing on both its faces. It was surrounded by armed guards—Hossans who clearly hadn’t spent much time in the cleansing pool. For though their hair floated above their heads and their eyes glowed, their skin was a milky, opaque white, like freshly poured milk, hiding their veins and arteries. This should have made them look less freaky than the Hossans with transparent skin but somehow it didn’t.

“Take them,” the Joined One commanded, pulling Charlie’s attention away from the weird guards. “Take them to the Circle of Oneness immediately—they have much to answer for.”

Chapter Thirty-one

“What are we charged with?” Stavros demanded, glaring at the Joined One. He had been summarily scanned, both eye and hand, and he and Charlotte had been brought into the inner circle to stand some kind of trial as far as he could tell.

The large circular room which he had only seen in the dream he shared with Charlotte looked different. It was no longer bare with only the burnished gold cylinder in the center for decoration. A high platform had been added—a kind of stage, he thought—with a large throne-like chair placed in its center. In the chair sat Ya’ha’Na’ho, the Joined One, obviously sitting in judgment of him and Charlotte.

They, of course, were standing in front of the platform, forced to look up into the two faces of the Joined One, both of which were scowling critically down at them. The large golden cylinder was to their left and they were flanked on all sides by the armed Hossan guards.

“You are accused of being imposters here—would-be thieves of our most precious artifact—the Heart of Love,” the male face of the Joined One declared.

Stavros felt his stomach clench. How the hell had they known? Was it revealed when they scanned either himself or Charlotte? But why had the Joined One not made the accusation at once?

“Who says such things about us?” he asked, keeping his voice level and steady. “Who dares defame my character and that of my lawful mate?”

“She is not your mate but only an associate—another spy sent along with you to create the illusion that the two of you were a couple in need of help,” the female face said. “We have been told everything—there is no need to lie.”

“Who said those things?” Charlotte demanded, speaking up for the first time. Stavros was glad to see that her chin was high and her eyes were flashing. Plainly she was intending to fight to the end—good, they would need to back each other up to get out of this.

“We were contacted by one who has been observing you and could not be silent about your treachery any longer,” the male face said sternly.

“So someone has been spying on us?” Charlotte asked. “Who?”

“Yes, are we to be allowed to meet our accuser or not?” Stavros growled.

“You may, if you wish.” The Joined One made a motion with one hand and suddenly the soft pink glow in the room faded leaving everything in near darkness. The side of the golden cylinder suddenly lit up and a face that Stavros recognized from his briefings with the Kindred Council suddenly appeared.

“Greetings, oh exulted ones,” Two, the Dark Kindred Commander said in a deep, inhuman voice. He bowed low but strangely, only the left side of his body seemed to work so the bow was lopsided. Still, when he straightened up, Stavros could see the malevolent gleam in his left eye—the other was covered by a metal prosthetic scope—one of his enhancements.

He was grinning—but only on the left side—which exposed silver metal teeth and part of his brain was exposed and visible through a clear plasti-glass dome that covered his skull.

“This is Two, the commander of the Enhanced Ones,” the Joined One said, unnecessarily. “I believe that you are one of his soldiers, Stavros? One who has broken ranks and deserted without permission.”

“That is a lie,” Stavros said clearly. “This male is not my commander. He is the leader of the Dark Kindred—also known as the Enhanced Ones. They are seeking a way to take over Earth—a planet that the Kindred are currently protecting. Why he was watching me, I do not know, but I do know that he is a liar.”

“Was he lying about the two of you not being a couple?” the Joined One asked, raising all four eyebrows. “I think not. From the first you and Charlotte have not displayed the proper demeanor of two souls joined as one. Admit it—you are simply spies who have no emotional connection, sent here to steal the Heart of Love!”

“That’s not true,” Charlotte said before Stavros could answer. “We are a couple.” She grabbed his hand in hers, entwining their fingers hastily. “We came to seek the wisdom of the Heart of Love just like everyone else here.”

“They lie!” boomed the voice of Two. “They must be turned over to me immediately for punishment.”

Stavros frowned. Something about that voice…it seemed wrong. He tried to picture the vids he’d seen while being debriefed by the Council. Then he remembered—much like the Joined One, Two had appeared to have two entities inside him. The first was the original inhabitant of the body—a Dark Kindred raised on Zeaga Four—and the other was Ur, a demon from the Black Planet which had inhabited Terex, the head of the Kindred High Council for a while. Surely the creature speaking now was not Two but Ur, the demon.

“It is this creature who lies,” he said loudly. “It is not one but two—a demon named Ur and its host who is called Two.”

At the name “Two” the male with the metal teeth and the prosthetic eye began to twitch oddly. The eye blinked several times and began to speak.

“What have you done?” he demanded in a more normal voice. “Who are we speaking to?”

“This is the exulted Ya’ha’Na’he,” the deep voice boomed. “The ruling Joined One of J’lorgan’s mind. I have contacted them to let them know of the thieves and traitors who have infiltrated their resort.”

The thin, liver-colored lips twisted into an angry sneer.

“You fool!” the other voice burst out. “You’ve tipped our hand too early. What in the Seven Hells do you think you’re playing at?”

“I simply did what was necessary—I took action,” the deeper voice argued. “As you refused to do.”

“I refused for good reason! I was going to wait until after the Heart was taken. I had a plan—”

“Which you refused to share with me!” the other voice boomed.

The two entities continued to bicker which was very strange to watch since they were sharing the same body.

“Yes…well…” The Joined One made a motion and the image suddenly vanished from the side of the golden cylinder. Stavros noted with some hope that there was an uncertain, discomforted expression on both the male and female faces.

“I hope you can see now that the person who contacted you was both lying and deranged,” he said, frowning up at them. “It sounds to me as if he—or they—had designs on the Heart of Love themselves and were simply trying to find someone to pin their crimes on.”

“Exactly—they were trying to frame us,” Charlie said. “We’re innocent.”

“We do not know what problem the Dark Kindred Commander Two was having but we are still inclined to think at least part of his information was correct,” the male face of the Joined One said stubbornly.

“Then why do you not simply check our credentials?” Stavros asked calmly. “I am a Havoc from Xander Prime and Charlotte is my bride.” He knew perfectly well their cover stories would hold up to intense scrutiny. Commander Sylvan had vetted them himself.

“Ahh, but such credentials are all too easy to fake,” the female face purred. “We were thinking of a more definitive test to prove you are who you say you are.”

“And what test would that be?” Stavros was beginning to get a bad feeling about this but he continued to keep his eyes fixed on the Joined One and his voice steady. There was no point in giving anything away.

“Why—the test of love, of course,” the male face said. “It is the final test for all who come to grow in unity, here at J’lorgan’s Mind.”

“And what exactly is the ‘test of love?’” Charlotte asked. She sounded as uneasy as Stav felt.

“It’s simple, really,” the female face said. “The two of you will make love here, before the pillar of the Heart.” The Joined One nodded at the golden cylinder. “If you are truly a couple and there is deep and significant love between you, the outer shell of the pillar will split, revealing the inner sanctum where the Heart of Love is kept.”

“M-make love? Here?” Charlotte looked around wildly. “I mean, in front of God and everybody? I’m sorry, but I’m not into putting on a show for perverts.”

“We have no wish to watch your tawdry couplings—privacy will be provided. In fact, you will have the entire inner circle to yourselves.” The Joined One made a sweeping motion with both hands. “After all, we know exactly where you are and all the entrances and exits to the circle will be sealed. There will be no possible escape.”

“If you were watching what went on in the Temple of Regrets, you know what Charlotte has just been through,” Stavros growled. “She is emotionally and physically drained. You’re completely misguided if you think I’ll take her after the trauma she just experienced.”

“And you are completely misguided if you do not believe we will call the Dark Kindred Commander back and tell him to send a ship for you at once,” the Joined One snapped.

“Just give us some time to recuperate,” Stavros argued. “If the only way to open the Pillar of the Heart is through genuine emotion, you must let us rest and recover ourselves. We have both re-lived the worst events of our lives tonight. You cannot expect us to be able to summon the will and intent to—”

“My, my—for a couple so truly in love that they were promoted to the Circle of Oneness, you certainly seem reluctant to touch each other intimately.” The Joined One raised all four eyebrows again, skeptically. “May we ask why?”

“I have just told you why.” Stavros could hear the frustration creeping into his voice though he tried to hold it back. Somehow he had to argue their way out of this. He couldn’t let the damned Joined Ones force them into an act Charlotte would hate him for the rest of her life. If only he could get them to give himself and Charlotte a little more time—time to escape, hopefully—

“We’ll do it.”

“What?” Stav rounded on her, sure he was hearing things. “What did you say?”

“I said, we’ll do it.” Charlotte glared at him fiercely.

“But—”

“What’s the big deal, honey?” she asked, obviously speaking for the Joined One’s benefit. “I mean, I know we weren’t getting along when we first got here but since that first night after our Sensual Touching class, we’ve been all over each other. It’s the reason Nar’sa and Ta’no promoted us so quickly.”

“But…” Stavros was at a loss. Was she actually suggesting they do this? “But the Temple of Regrets,” he said at last. “The things you witnessed…”

“Are all old pains,” Charlotte said firmly. “They hurt a lot but the grief isn’t fresh. It’s not like any of it happened yesterday—it just felt like that in that damn temple. So…we should be good to go.”

“Charlotte, I don’t know about this.”

“Well, I do.” Her brown eyes flashed stubbornly. “Besides, we’re going to have privacy to, you know, figure it out.”

The Joined One leaned forward on its throne-like chair.

“Do not think that just because you will have privacy you can fake or falsify your joining. Only an act of true physical and emotional intimacy will spilt the Pillar of the Heart.”

“Meaning…” Stavros raised his eyebrows.

“Meaning you must penetrate your mate and leave your seed within her.” A mocking smile played around both faces now. “Deep within her.”

Beside him, Stavros heard Charlotte swallow nervously. But she still held up her chin and refused to back down.

“That’s fine as long as we know you aren’t watching,” she said steadily. “Like I said, I’m not about to put on a show.”

“Very well then.” The Joined One nodded its bulky, conjoined head and the male face spoke. “We shall give you a certain amount of time—one solar hour should be sufficient. When we return if the outer shell is split, we shall know you were telling the truth about your identities and purposes here.”

“And if it’s not?” Stavros asked.

“Then we shall call the Dark Kindred Commander and tell him you are his for the asking.” The female face smiled sweetly. “Happy joining, my dears. May your union be pleasurable and lasting.”

* * * * *

“Why did you do that?” Stavros demanded the moment the room was cleared and emptied of everything except a large thick blue mattress made of the thera-mat that covered the classroom floors. The Hossan guards had placed it right beside the vast cylinder as though getting it closer would help in their impossible task of splitting its golden surface open to expose the Heart. Charlie could see her reflection in it and the eyes staring back at her were scared and uncertain. She did her best to get herself under control and put on a brave face.

“Why did I do what—get that damned Joined One off our backs?” she snapped. “You don’t have to sound so accusatory, Stavros. Next time a simple ‘thank you’ would be nice.”

“You haven’t really gotten them off our backs and you know it,” he said grimly. “And you’ve agreed to do something you don’t want to do—and volunteered me to do it as well.”

“You’re saying you don’t want to have sex with me?” Charlie tried to say the words in a casual, offhand way but inside she felt like dying from embarrassment. She’d been so sure of the way he felt about her she hadn’t even stopped to wonder if Stavros would object to them being intimate. It had just seemed like the easiest way out of their dilemma—the only way out—and so she had taken it.

“No, I don’t want to have sex with you,” he said roughly and she felt her stomach turn over. “Just as I don’t want to fuck you.”

“Okay, I get it—you don’t want to do the deed.” Inside she was shrinking with mortification. “Sorry I volunteered you for such a horrible task.”

“You don’t understand me.” Stavros reached for her, taking both her hands in his. “I don’t want to do any of those things—I want to make love with you. To you.” He sighed. “What I’m trying to say is that if we do this, I want it to mean something. But it can’t. Because of your past and how you feel about me and my people.”

“I…” Charlie didn’t know what to say. “Stav, I don’t really see that we have much choice,” she said at last. “I’m sorry, I guess I shouldn’t have said anything. I was just looking for the easy way out.”

“The easy way out?” He looked at her incredulously. “You think taking you sexually without bonding you to me will be easy?”

At the word “bonding” Charlie felt an electrical surge run through her from the tips of her breasts to the tingling spot between her legs. She pressed her thighs together and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to ignore it.

“Look, nobody said anything about that,” she said, wishing her voice wouldn’t come out sounding so high and breathy. “I just figured we could, you know, keep it impersonal. Like we did when you, um, touched me.”

He laughed harshly, a bitter, unhappy sound.

“Impersonal. Businesslike. Professional. I’m so fucking sick of being professional with you.”

“You don’t have to say it like that,” Charlie snapped, losing patience. “In fact, you don’t have to say anything at all. Just do it so we can get the damned pillar open and see if there’s any way to get the Heart.”

“Just do it? Like this?” The big Kindred was suddenly behind her. He pushed her to her hands and knees on the mattress and flipped up the hem of her robe, exposing her bare ass. “Is this what you want, Charlotte?” he snarled, forcing her legs apart. “Just a quick fuck to reach your objective?”

“I…” Charlie’s heart was pounding and her mouth was as dry as cotton. But after all the weeping and wailing she’d done in the Temple of Regrets, she wasn’t going to show any more weakness. She was tired of feeling helpless and upset. This wasn’t how she’d imagined sex with Stavros—when she’d allowed herself to picture it at all—but it was, as he said, just a means to an end. So if this was the way he wanted it…

“Well?” he demanded and she felt his big hands on her bare hips, bracing her open. She knew he was in position to enter her, knew that the broad head of his cock must be poised right at the entrance of her pussy.

“Fine,” she said in a voice that only trembled a little. She turned her head to the side and met his eyes in the burnished reflective surface of the Pillar of the Heart. He was standing right behind where she was positioned at the end of the mattress and his eyes were burning with emotion. “If that’s how you want it, then go for it,” she said steadily. “I…I can take anything you can dish out. Anything.”

She expected him to take her at her word and shove himself to the hilt inside her. In fact, she was trying to be mentally and physically braced for it. So she was surprised when instead, he sank to the mattress beside her.

“Charlotte,” he murmured and her name was like a prayer on his lips. Like a litany of regret and ruined hope. “Oh, Charlotte…”

He lay on the mattress and pulled her down beside him. Before she knew it, Charlie was cuddled against him with his broad chest pressed to her back.

“Stavros?” she whispered uncertainly as he wound long, muscular arms around her and held her close. They were facing the golden surface of the Pillar and she could see sadness moving in his eyes as he tucked the top of her head under his chin.

“I cannot use you that way,” he said and gave a deep sigh. “I cannot bring myself to hurt or rape you.”

“It wouldn’t be rape,” Charlie protested weakly. “I told you to do it.”

“But not because you want to—because we have to. That is not how I hoped our first time together would be.”

“We would’ve had to anyway,” she pointed out. “I’m pretty sure this is the final exam for everybody who comes here. I think that’s what Ssstha and Hsssthnk were talking about when they said they were going to have their ‘oneness’ or whatever.”

“So you think the last test is—”

“Making love here, in front of the Pillar of the Heart. Seeing if you can get it to open. To split,” she finished for him. “Yes.”

“Splitting the Pillar,” he said meditatively.

Charlie surprised herself by giggling.

“Sorry. That just sounds like a really dirty euphemism for something else.”

“It does.” The ghost of a smile traced his sensuous mouth and then vanished. “No matter what it sounds like, if we do not accomplish it within the hour, we will be handed over to the enemy.”

Charlie shivered. “I don’t want that, Stavros. I don’t want that weird guy with the metal teeth and the split personality to get us! We have to do this if only so we can get out of here in one piece.”

“Agreed,” he said heavily. “Although we do not really have to make love to ‘split the Pillar.’”

“We don’t? What do you mean?”

“According to the Joined One, the main requirement is for me to leave my seed in your pussy,” Stavros murmured. “If you prefer to keep things on a less intimate basis, I can simply wait to penetrate you until I am ready to…”

“To come?” Charlie whispered breathlessly. “Um, yes, I guess that would be a good way to do it.”

“It would,” he agreed. “Since we are not doing it for love or bonding, we should try to keep it professional.”

“I suppose,” Charlie said softly. There was a lump in her throat and her eyes stung for a moment but she didn’t know why. “And…” she hesitated but it had to be said. “And that means no biting, right?”

“No biting,” he agreed. “I don’t think I could stop myself from bonding you to me if I bit you first. And it would be dangerous to have both my essence in your bloodstream and my seed in your pussy at the same time. We might form a permanent bond by accident.”

“But when you bit me the other night and injected your essence…do you think I still have some in my bloodstream?”

He shook his head. “Trace amounts only. I don’t think it will be enough to form a bond.”

“Well…all right.” Charlie shivered. She had been telling herself for so long that she didn’t want anything to do the Kindred, that the idea of bonding with one—even Stav—turned her off. But did it? Did it really? For the first time she allowed herself to wonder what it might be like…to open herself to him completely…to have both his fangs and his cock in her at the same time…

Stop it, she scolded herself. You shouldn’t think like that—remember Missy! But somehow the thought didn’t hold the same guilt it had. It was almost as though re-living the awful event had given her a new perspective on it. Not that she—

“Very well,” Stavros murmured, pulling her out of her guilty thoughts. “Will you allow me to prepare you first? You are very tight and I am…not small. I would not wish to take you unless you are ready to receive me.”

“Oh…right. Of course. I, um, guess so.” Charlie found herself unaccountably shy and she couldn’t meet his eyes in the shiny golden surface beside them. “How, um…how did you want to prepare?”

“I want to taste you again,” he growled softly. “I want to be between your thighs, lapping up your juices and tasting your honey right from the source, just once more.”

“Oh, well…” Charlie felt like half the blood in her body was rushing to her face and the other half was rushing to the sensitive spot between her legs. “I guess that’s okay. If you…really want to.”

“More than anything,” he assured her.

“But what about preparing you?” she asked. “I mean, if you’re not going to put it in until you’re, uh, ready to go? Or come…or whatever?” She could feel her cheeks getting hotter and hotter.

“Trust me, Charlotte,” he growled. “Tasting you will more than get me ready to come. I love the taste and scent of your soft, sweet little pussy. Licking you there makes me hotter than anything besides biting you.”

At the thought of him biting her, a shiver of pure desire ran down her spine. God, if only he could…but no. That was out of the question. She had to get back on track.

“Okay…how do you, uh, want me?” Charlie dared to raise her gaze to his and saw that his indigo eyes were half-lidded with lust.

“Get back on your hands and knees,” he rumbled. “I like the way you look like that. I want to taste you from behind.”

“You…you do?” Charlie wished she didn’t sound so breathless but she couldn’t help it. Though this act had once been one to fear and avoid, it now made her heart beat faster and her breath come short.

“You know I do. Come…” He was already helping her up.

Charlie let the big Kindred take off her long white robe. Once she was completely naked, she got up on her hands and knees. Though she tried not to look at her reflection in the golden pillar, she couldn’t help seeing how her breasts hung down like ripe fruit, her tight nipples jutting from their tips like berries.

“Gods, you’ve lovely.” Stavros’s deep voice was hoarse with desire and longing. Already Charlie could see the outline of his erection beneath the thin white sleep trousers he wore.

She gave a nervous little laugh.

“You’re not half bad yourself.”

His long hair was loose around his broad, bare shoulders and the black, iridescent lines of his mark seemed to shimmer in the reflection on the golden pillar.

“I am glad you find me pleasing,” he rumbled. He was getting her positioned, right on the edge of the mattress and now he sank to his knees behind her so that his mouth was level with her spread thighs. “Because the Goddess knows I find you so,” he finished, gazing between her legs in open admiration.

Knowing that he was looking at her pussy made Charlie feel nervous and hot. Out of instinct, she started to close her thighs but Stav held them gently open.

“No, Charlotte—let me look at you. Let me remember you since I am never destined to do this again.”

“I…” She didn’t know what to say to that. The idea that they would go their separate ways after this had occurred to her—of course it had. But it had never made her feel so sad before. “Stav…” she murmured.

But just then he leaned forward and pressed a soft, gentle kiss between her thighs.

Charlie jumped and shivered when she felt his mouth connect with her outer pussy lips. God, that felt amazing and he had just given her one kiss. Already she was getting wet and hot between her legs and she wondered if he could tell it.

Her question was answered by a low, approving rumble from deep in his chest.

“Look at that—your sweet little pussy is already getting wet, my numala,” he murmured, spreading her outer lips with his thumbs. “Gods, I love how it easy it is to make your honey flow.”

Charlie bit her lip as she felt fresh wetness come from her spread pussy. Stavros leaned forward and lapped it up eagerly, bathing her slick inner folds with his hot tongue.

“Oh, God,” she moaned and couldn’t help pressing back against him, trying to get more of the incredible sensation of his mouth on her open cunt.

“That’s right, falinda,” he growled softly. “Come to me, press your pussy to my mouth. Open yourself for me and let me taste your juices flowing.”

Charlie did as he ordered, spreading her thighs wider and tilting her pelvis, trying to give him easier access to her slippery inner folds. Stavros wrapped his arms around her thighs and split her wide, pressing forward to lap and suck her spread pussy and sending sparks of bright-hot pleasure through every nerve in her body.

Charlie couldn’t help turning her head to watch in the mirrored surface of the pillar as the big Kindred Tasted her. He had a hungry look on his face as he thrust forward, first circling her throbbing clit with his tongue and then plunging it deep in her pussy to fill her as much as he could while he tasted her juices right from the source.

Oh God, soon that’s going to be his cock, Charlie couldn’t help thinking. He’s actually going to put it inside me…going to fill me up and come in me!

The forbidden thought seemed to act like a catalyst to her ever growing pleasure. With a little gasp, she felt the orgasm which had been building from the moment Stavros first dropped to his knees behind her suddenly pounce like a waiting tiger.

“Ahh!” she wailed, her back arching and her toes curling while her hands fisted in the mattress. “Oh, God, Stavros…Please!”

He kept licking her, lapping away her juices until her throbbing pussy was completely cleaned. Then he was beside her on the mattress again, holding her in his arms.

“Gods, I love to hear you call my name like that,” he growled, pulling her close for a kiss.

His fangs were long and sharp and she could feel them pressing dangerously close as his mouth descended on hers. Charlie didn’t give a damn. She welcomed him recklessly, opening her mouth for his seeking tongue, reveling in the delicious taste of her own secret flavor on his lips.

Their mouths clashed for a moment, pressing hot and hard, and then they drew apart, both panting for breath.

“Charlotte…” He cupped her cheek and looked at her, his eyes blazing with hunger. “I need to be in you now, need to fill you with my seed. Do you feel ready to receive me?”

“I…yes.” She nodded, feeling flushed and hot all over her body. “God, yes, Stav. Please…do it.”

“I want to but…” he frowned and drew back a little. “I think we should be careful.”

“Careful how?” Charlie wanted to know. “I mean, you already got me, uh, ready.” More than ready, to tell the truth. She was throbbing and empty between her legs. She had never been more ready to be filled in her life.

But Stavros was still frowning.

“I just don’t want to go too far. We are, after all, only doing this in order to make the pillar split. And if the only requirement is that my seed should be inside you, perhaps I should only put myself a little way in.”

Charlie felt her heart sink. “You mean like…just the tip?”

He nodded. “I think it would be best. As we are trying, once more, to be professional.”

Charlie bit her lip. Screw professional, I just want you inside me! she wanted to shout. But she knew he was right. They weren’t doing this for love or any kind of emotional attachment. They were still just co-workers and partners, not lovers. And she ought to be grateful to Stavros for trying to keep it that way.

“All right,” she said at last. “We can do that. We can be careful.”

“This way, then.” Stavros turned them on their sides again so that he was right behind her.

Charlie nearly moaned when she saw the two of them mirrored in the golden pillar once more. She was lying on her side and Stavros was right behind her, seeming to loom over her because he was so much bigger.

“Um…why like this?” she asked a bit breathlessly. “You, uh, want to watch?”

“I want you to watch,” he said seriously. “Watch and tell me if I’m going in too far. I don’t…can’t trust myself to stop without your help. And I fear if I watch the visual stimulation will be too much. I need you to guide me.”

“Oh…” Charlie felt like her heart was beating so hard it was shaking her entire body. So she was going to be in control here? The thought was both frightening and intriguing.

“Is that all right with you?” he murmured. “I’m sorry to put the burden on you, Charlotte, but I want you so much. I don’t trust myself not to thrust in too deep or even take you completely if you don’t tell me when to stop.”

“It’s all right,” she assured him, trying to control her breathing. “I…I can do it. I can tell you when to stop.”

“All right. I will watch until I get into position,” he murmured. “And then I must close my eyes.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “Then let’s…let’s go ahead and do it.”

“Of course.” Reaching around her, he lifted her top leg, bringing it up until it rested on his hip and thigh.

Charlie bit her lip at the sight of her pussy opening in the mirrored pillar. She was wet and red and her pussy lips were puffy with need after his thorough tongue bath. When he lifted her leg, it caused her to open so that the tiny pink bud of her clit, still throbbing after all his loving attention, was put on display.

“Gods, you’re beautiful,” Stavros growled hoarsely. “Look at how wet and open you are. Do you think you feel ready for me to enter you?”

“I…yes,” Charlie whispered. “Go ahead and put…put yourself in position.”

He reached between his legs and pressed the long, thick shaft of his cock up between her spread thighs. Charlie couldn’t help the little moan that was half anticipation, half fear at the sigh of the thick club of his sex poised to take her. She’d felt him here once before when he had nearly bonded her to him—but that had only been the head.

And that’s all it’s going to be this time, too, whispered a scolding little voice in her mind. Just the tip…just so he can come in you. Right?

Right. Of course. But then why did she feel so empty inside? Why was she so eager to have him in her?

Stavros positioned himself so that the broad, plum shaped head of his cock was lodged just at the entrance to her pussy. Charlie bit back a moan when she felt it pressing against her, eager to breach her and press up and into her tight channel. Then the big Kindred paused and took a deep breath.

“Oh Gods,” he groaned and when she looked at his face in the mirror, Charlie saw that his fangs had grown longer and sharper than she had ever seen them.

“Stav?” she asked anxiously. “Are you all right?”

“I am. But I cannot watch any longer. The sight of my shaft about to enter you is too much…it makes me want more than I should have.”

He took her hand and guided it down to the place where they were almost joined. Then closed his eyes resolutely.

“All right, Charlotte,” he said in a strained voice. “It is up to you now. Guide me in to where you want me to be. To where you feel I need to go in order to fill you with my seed.”

“All…all right,” she whispered. But for a moment she was completely still. God, how was she going to do this? How was she going to judge how deep was deep enough?

Just the tip, whispered that little voice in her head. Start with just the tip—that’s all you’re supposed to do anyway.

Okay, she thought. Just the tip. I can do that. We’ve already done that before. Granted she had been scared to death that he was going to bond her to him for life at the time but still, at least it wasn’t completely new territory.

Slowly she grasped the thick, pulsing shaft that rested between her legs. His skin was hot and smooth and silky but the shaft itself was hard and throbbing with life. It was like holding a living iron bar in her hand, one that longed to be inside her. with Stav behind her like this and pressed right against her she felt completely surrounded by him. The hard warmth of his chest at her back, his hot breath on the side of her neck, his delicious, dark masculine scent, all worked together to make her hotter and more eager than she’d ever been for any man.

If you keep thinking like that, you’re definitely going to go too far!

Charlotte knew the little voice was right. She tried to ignore her need and just concentrate on the business at hand.

Well, here goes nothing…

Taking a deep breath, she spread her thighs a little more and watched in the golden mirror as she pressed the broad, plum-shaped head gently but firmly against her entrance.

They both groaned softly when he slipped inside her. Charlie tensed a little at the sharp stretching feeling of his thick shaft opening her so intimately. God, he was so big and this was only the first part.

It ought to be the last part too, the scolding voice in her head informed her. But this time, Charlie chose not to listen to it. Instead she concentrated on her breathing and on feeling him inside her, getting used to having something so thick and large in a place where no one had been for a long, long time.

“Charlotte?” His deep voice was slightly strangled in her ear. “Do you feel this is deep enough? Is this where you want me to release?”

“I…” She almost said yes but something stopped her. “I…don’t know,” she said instead. “I’m afraid if you, uh, come when you’re just barely in me like this it’ll all leak out. And that might not do the trick…uh, split the pillar, I mean.”

“So you feel I should be a little deeper?” he asked hoarsely. A quick glance in the mirror showed Charlie that his eyes were still tightly closed and his fangs were extended.

“A little, maybe,” she said cautiously. “I mean, maybe just an inch or so more.”

“Then put me in you,” he growled. “I do not trust myself. I want too much to be inside you. You must be the judge and the guide.”

“All right.” Feeling a little shaky and extremely hot, Charlie reached between her legs and grasped the hot, silky length of his cock again. Slowly, biting her lip as she watched in the mirror, she fed just a little more of him into her pussy.

It was all she could do not to moan as she watched another thick inch of his long shaft slide into her. He got broader just below the head so she had the stretching sensation to contend with all over again but this time she was ready for it so it didn’t hurt as much.

“God,” she whispered as she felt him sliding slowly into her. “I can’t believe I’m doing this…laying here with my legs spread watching you slide into me.”

“How…how does it look?” he asked, his deep voice filled with desire. “Describe it to me.”

“You’ve got me stretched wide—really wide,” she admitted, panting a little. “It…uh, I mean you’re bigger than anyone I’ve ever been with. And also, I haven’t been with anyone in such a long time I’m practically a virgin all over again.”

“So I’m stretching you but not hurting you.” It wasn’t a question—she knew he could feel if he was giving her pain.

“It doesn’t hurt,” she agreed. “But I’m still not sure it’s quite deep enough.”

“You want to take me deeper?” he murmured in her ear. “Want to feel my shaft stretching your pussy even wider, falinda?”

Charlie bit her lip. “I…I do,” she confessed. “I mean, I think we should. Get a little deeper. To be on the safe side.”

“Very well,” Stavros rumbled. “And do you want to put me in? Or do you trust me to thrust in myself?”

“Do you trust yourself?” she asked softly. “I thought you were right on the edge.”

“I’m in control.” His deep voice held absolute certainty. “I won’t go too far. Just tell me when you want me to stop.”

“All right,” she whispered. “Then…put more of yourself in me. I…I want you to.”

“And I want to. Gods, so much.” He gripped her hip with one hand, holding her steady. “Slowly,” he growled in her ear. “Tell me the minute you want me to stop.”

Charlie wanted to say that she would but the words wouldn’t come. She was too busy watching the thick shaft of his cock sliding slowly but surely into her open pussy. God, he was so thick and yet she still didn’t want him to stop. Inch after inch penetrated her, filling her past the halfway point.

Stop—tell him to stop! shouted the judgmental little voice in her head but somehow Charlie couldn’t. Suddenly, he stopped anyway.

“Charlotte?” His deep voice was slightly strangled. “I have been waiting for you to tell me to stop but you said nothing. I feel like I’m over halfway inside you now.

“You…you are,” she whispered, at last finding her voice.

“And…you don’t mind?”

“No.” She didn’t know what else to say.

“Do you want me to come in you now?” he growled softly.

“No,” she said again. “Not…not yet.”

“When?” He shifted slightly, sending just a fraction more of his thick cock into her open pussy.

“When…” Charlie cleared her throat. “When you’re all the way in.”

“What?” In the mirrored surface of the pillar, she could see that he was frowning. “Are you saying you want me to penetrate you completely? To press the head of my shaft against the mouth of your womb? That is not very professional.”

“No, but I think it’s, uh, necessary.” Charlie scrambled to assemble her scattered thoughts. “Remember the Joined One said you had to leave your seed inside me—deep inside me?”

“Did it? I must have missed that.”

“It did,” Charlie said firmly. “I, uh, just now remembered it. But I think that means you have to be all the way, um, in me before you, you know…release.”

“Before I fill you with my seed, you mean,” he rumbled. “Yes, of course—that makes sense.”

“I think so too.” Charlie took a deep breath and spread her legs a little wider. “So go ahead, Stavros—put it all inside me. Let me feel you filling me up completely before you come.”

“Gods, falinda,” he groaned. “When you put it like that, I can deny you nothing.” With a long, slow, final thrust he pushed inside her—deep, deeper, deepest until Charlie felt his cock pressing hard at the end of her channel, the broad, plum-shaped head kissing, as he had said, the mouth of her womb.

“Oh God,” she whispered. “You’re in me, Stav. In me so deep.”

“Now I can fill you with my seed. But I wish I could watch,” he growled. “Wish I could see my shaft thrust inside you to the hilt.”

“Then look,” Charlie invited. “Trust yourself, Stav—I trust you. Watch while you fill me. While you…while you come in me.”

“I shouldn’t.” But she could hear in his voice that he wanted to be convinced.

“This is the only time we’ll be doing this,” she murmured, pressing back against him so he went even deeper inside her. “You should see it. It’s okay, Stav. I know you won’t bite me.”

“I will try not to, anyway. All right—I can resist no longer.”

With a sigh, he opened his eyes and stared at their reflection in the golden side of the vast pillar. Charlie felt his big body clench around hers and his thick shaft got even thicker as he gave a low groan.

“Ah, Gods…”

Charlie had to admit it was a hot sight—the slight blonde girl with the wide hips and big ass lying on her side with her legs spread wide open. Lying behind her with his thick cock thrust all the way to the root in her pussy was a large, muscular man with hungry eyes and long hair flowing over his broad shoulders.

“You’re beautiful,” Stavros growled softly in her ear. He slid his hand from her hip up to cup her breast. “So beautiful spreading your pussy to take me all the way inside.” He tugged gently on her nipple and made her moan at the same time. “I could come just looking at you this way. Looking at you and feeling you all around me so tight and hot and wet. So fucking perfect.”

“You—you’d better come in me soon,” Charlotte reminded him breathlessly. “I think…think our hour is almost up.”

“I will.” The big hand slid down from her breast to the place they were joined. Delicately, he began circling the aching bud of her clit with the pad of his middle finger. “But I want to bring you pleasure as I do.”

“Oh!” Charlie moaned softly as he continued to stroke her open pussy. The tight little bundle of nerves was too sensitive from her early orgasm for direct contact but Stav was sliding gently all around it without actually touching it. Somehow the feeling was more intense than if he’d been rubbing her directly.

“How does it feel?” he murmured in her ear as he continued to touch her. “How does it feel to have me so deep inside you? To have my shaft all the way inside your tight little pussy?”

“It feels good…feels amazing,” she admitted in a low, gasping voice. “But I need to feel more…need to feel you coming inside me.”

“All right,” he growled. “But be warned—I usually come a lot when I release and I’ve never had the pleasure of filling a pussy as beautiful as yours.”

“That…that’s okay,” Charlie assured him breathlessly. “Just…just do it. Just come.”

“As you wish. But I want you to come with me.”

“I…I don’t know,” Charlie began to protest but already the pleasure was building in her again. The feel of his so thick shaft inside her, filling her completely, coupled with the delicious way he was caressing all around her sensitive clit were making her crazy.

“Please, Charlotte,” he murmured in her ear. “I want to feel your sweet little pussy milking me as I come in you. Want to feel you trying to get every last drop of my seed deep inside you.”

His dirty talk as much as the physical sensations made her moan.

“Stav…” she begged, half in protest. “Oh, God…I’m so close.”

“Good, falinda. Then come for me. Come while I fill your sweet pussy with my shaft and my seed.”

Suddenly the pad of his finger rubbed directly over her throbbing clit and Charlie was shooting into the stratosphere.

“Stavros!” she wailed, feeling her inner muscles clench all around him. “Oh God, please!”

“Charlotte…” He pulled back a little until over half of his thick shaft was clear of her and Charlie saw how he was wet with her juices. Then he thrust in deep and hard, pressing the head of his cock against the end of her channel again. With a low groan he began to come.

Charlie gasped as she felt him ripple inside her and then the hot, hard spurts of cum bathing the mouth of her womb. God, she’d never felt anything like this with a human lover. Stav hadn’t been kidding when he said he came a lot—she could feel him filling her up and already some of it was leaking out of her. And yet he still made more, filling her to the limit and beyond.

The very feel of him spurting inside her seemed to make Charlie come even harder and longer herself. She moaned and arched her back against him, throwing back her head as the spasm of pleasure overwhelmed her.

Suddenly she felt something long and sharp prick along the skin of her exposed throat.

Her eyes had been tightly closed but now they flew open to see Stavros leaning over her, his mouth open, his fangs dangerously close to puncturing the tender skin of her neck.

“Stav?” she whispered tightly, going completely still. She could see the tiny blue droplets of essence hanging on the ends of those razor sharp tips and she knew if he bit her now, while he was filling her pussy with his seed, they would be bonded permanently together.

Once such a prospect would have frozen her blood. But now…God, she didn’t know how she felt now. But she did know they hadn’t agreed on this.

“Stav?” she asked again. “I…you…you promised not to.”

Slowly his eyes, which had been narrowed and burning with lust, went back to normal. After what was clearly a moment of serious inner struggle, he pulled back. Charlie didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. She could only imagine the multiple orgasms his essence would have given her as he filled her below.

“I won’t.” He met her eyes in the mirror. “I will not bond you or any female to me. But, Gods, I want to. Want you.” He held her gaze, his own eyes burning with need and regret. “I know it is not professional to say but I cannot help it. I love you, Charlie. Love you so damn much and I wish I could bond you to me forever.”

“Oh, Stav…” She felt like her heart was melting. She looked up at him and opened her mouth, though she didn’t know what she was going to say…

Suddenly a long crack appeared in the side of the pillar, directly in front of them. A crack so high it ran the length of the vast shining side. Light shot out of it bathing them in a pinkish golden glow and a deep, commanding voice spoke.

“Welcome,” it said. “To the Pillar of the Heart. How may I help you become one?”

Chapter Thirty-two

Stavros disengaged hastily. Though he hated to pull out of Charlotte so quickly, he wasn’t completely sure that whoever was on the other side of the golden pillar was friendly. He wanted to be ready to defend his female if necessary and he couldn’t do that while he was still thrust balls-deep inside her.

“Who are you?” he demanded, rising and pulling on his sleep trousers hastily. He had been under the impression that the Heart of Love was an inert artifact kept locked away in the golden pillar. So who in the Seven Hells was speaking?

“It is I, T’dai al J’Lorgon,” the voice replied. “Come in and let us speak.”

“Should we go in?” Charlotte was also scrambling to get dressed as the crack widened into a kind of doorway.

Stavros nodded. “I think we should. But stay behind me.”

He walked carefully through the glowing aperture and into the inner sanctum of the Heart of Love with Charlotte close behind him. As soon as his eyes grew accustomed to the light, he saw the source of the pinkish-golden glow.

In the center of the room inside the Pillar of the Heart was a cleansing pool. As with the other pool he had seen, it appeared to be made of flowing, swirling liquid which he knew was actually plasma. But instead of turquoise, this plasma was a warm rose-gold. It rose in a vast, round, translucent column from the floor up into the darkness to some invisible ceiling above.

The being who was speaking to them-- T’dai al J’Lorgon himself if he was to be believed—was standing in the center of this pink column and staring at them with ancient eyes. He was old—so old it was hard to tell what species he was though Stav knew he was supposed to be Syntharian. His skin was wrinkled and his hair and beard, which floated gently in the plasma, was pure, snowy white.

“Greetings.” He bowed to them. “Forgive me for not leaving the healing plasma—it is all that keeps me alive.”

“Of course.” Stavros bowed and Charlotte copied him. “It is an honor to meet you,” he said, straightening. “We did not know you still lived.”

“I live…I live…” The old male made a cackling sound Stav assumed was a laugh. “Though mostly I sleep. In fact, if what the plasma is telling me is correct, I have been asleep for five hundred cycles this time. Your attempt at oneness is what woke me.”

From the corner of his eye, Stavros could see Charlotte blushing.

“We’re, uh, sorry if we woke you up from your nap,” she said, reaching down to straighten her robes which were on a bit crooked.

“Not at all, not at all.” J’lorgan nodded genially. “I do not mind. I rise to the surface of wakefulness from time to time—mostly whenever a new couple attempts to achieve oneness together. But the two of you woke me completely. Truly, your love and desire for each other must be unquenchable to have brought me completely awake.”

“Oh, uh…” Stavros cleared his throat, not sure what to say. It was true that he had foolishly declared his love for Charlotte right before the pillar split, but he was certain she didn’t feel anything for him. The old male must be confused about what had wakened him.

“We’re here to learn about the Heart of Love,” Charlotte said at last, breaking the awkward silence. “We’ve heard so much about it. Where is it, please? Can we…could we see it?”

“The Heart of Love?” To Stavros’s consternation, the old male burst out laughing. “Why, my dear—this is the heart—the center of the entire place.” He gestured around him, indicating the pink pillar of plasma.

“Where?” Charlotte asked. “You don’t mean your pink and gold swimming pool, there do you?”

“That is exactly what I mean. When I constructed this resort, many cycles before, I envisioned it with a place where couples could come together in the light of love and since this is the center or heart of the entire resort, it was called The Heart of Love.” He smiled. “Now, I, of course, am the mind. That is why it is called J’lorgan’s Mind. I am able to command and control all of it right here, from inside my plasma pool. Though I mostly leave it to others now.”

“You might want to look into what kind of others you’re leaving it to,” Charlotte said tartly. “The Joined Ones in charge right now are sadistic assholes.”

J’lorgan frowned.

“Joined Ones—what do you mean? I left Ye’ha and Na’ho in charge—a loving pair of Hossans which I trained myself. Their oneness was almost complete which was why I felt confident enough to let myself slip into unconsciousness.” He sighed. “I am well over two thousand cycles old, after all, Such age weighs heavily on a male.”

“Ye’ha and Na’ho have fused together into Ye’he’Na’ho. Facilitated, I think, by the other plasma pool—the cleansing pool,” Stavros told him. “They share a body and even their heads are conjoined though they still have separate faces. Their joining seems to have affected their minds.”

“It’s made ‘em crazier than a couple of shit house rats,” Charlotte said bluntly. “They gave me licks with a fire whip for talking about the past and also put both of us in the Temple of Regrets.”

“The Temple of what? There was no such place here at the resort the last time I was awake. And a fire whip? But I have never condoned any kind of corporal punishment! It is strictly against my beliefs!” J’lorgan was growing agitated. “Wait a moment,” he said, waving both hands excitedly. “Give me a moment to verify all you are saying.”

Closing his eyes, he spread out both arms and floated upward, disappearing into the top of the vast cylinder of plasma.

Charlotte turned to Stav.

“Think we should’ve told him?”

He shrugged. “If he is awake it seems he would have found out sooner or later anyway. The real question is, what are we going to do about the Heart?”

“I don’t know.” Charlotte sounded despairing. “I thought it was something we could pick up and take home in our pocket.” She reached out and stroked her fingertips over the surface of the plasma but quickly drew back. “Oh—it tingles!”

“We had better not touch it,” Stavros said darkly. “There is no telling how it might affect us.”

“You’re right.” Charlotte wiped her palm down the side of her robe. “But do you think it would be possible to transport any of this stuff home? And how would we use it when we got there? Put it in a bomb and shoot it at the Dark Kindred?”

“I don’t know if something like this can be weaponized,” Stavros said thoughtfully, looking at the golden pink glowing pillar. “If I understood J’lorgan correctly, it is the embodiment of pure love. Or at least, some kind of pure emotion. How would exploding a bomb like that stop our enemies?”

“Well, I know they don’t have emotions but I’m not sure.” Charlotte looked down at the metal floor. “Speaking of love—it’s weird how we woke him up, huh? I know you were just, you know, shouting out stuff in heat of the moment. When you…when you said you loved me, I mean. But I guess the pillar thought you really meant it.”

“Charlotte, I did m—” Stavros began but just then a familiar voice interrupted him.

“So you do care for each other after all.”

Turning quickly, he and Charlotte found themselves face to face to face to face with Ye’ha’Na’ho.

The Joined one was frowning at them with both faces.

“What’s this? The pillar not only split but completely open?” the female face asked, eyes widening. “This has not happened in over five hundred cycles!”

“Where is J’lorgan?” the male face demanded. “What have you done with him?”

“Perhaps the old fool has finally dissolved inside his pool of plasma,” the female face said hopefully. “If so, we are now in position to take complete control.”

“You will do no such thing!” Suddenly J’lorgan himself descended from the top of the plasma cylinder looking like an avenging angel.

“Master?” both faces of the Joined One spoke as one. They wore identical looks of shock.

“I was your Master—I was Master to two promising pupils by the names of Ya’he and Na’ho.” J’lorgan shook his head sadly. “What have you done to yourselves and why did you do it?”

“What? But, Master—we only did as you instructed,” the female face protested.

“We have finally achieved oneness,” the male face declared. “We are together and can never be separated.”

“No, no, no!” J’lorgan wrung his wrinkled hands. “This is not what I meant by oneness at all! I spoke of a spiritual bond—not a physical one! Of a mental connection, not a literal one!” He pointed at the Joined One. “Just look at you—the two of you. Or rather, the one of you! You are bound to each other with chains of flesh instead of bonds of love. No wonder your minds have been affected.”

“We are of sound mind as well as sound body,” the male face said frowning.

“Then why have you been using corporeal punishment on the pilgrims who come here to seek guidance?” the old male demanded. “Why have you allowed an emotion-sucker to take up residence on the premises in that abomination you built, the Temple of Regrets?”

“The temple was necessary,” the female face exclaimed shrilly. “We had to make the pilgrims fear their past too much to speak of it, so that they could move on and look to the future as you taught.”

“I never said that they must fear their past or never speak of it,” J’lorgan responded. “I said they must face it and then move on—into their future together. And I never would have condoned bringing such a dark and evil creature into the resort. You must get rid of it at once. And then the two of you shall be banished from the premises.”

“What?” the female face demanded. “But you cannot do that to us! We cannot be separated from the cleansing pool—it is what helps us in our Joining.”

“This ‘joining’ of yours is an abomination,” J’lorgan said harshly. “It should never have come to pass in the first place. When I spoke of oneness I meant an emotional bond, not a physical one.”

“You mean the kind the Kindred have with their mates?” Stavros asked quietly. “The soul bond they form when they bond a female to them?”

“Exactly!” J’lorgon exclaimed. “That is what I hoped to achieve when I harnessed the sentient plasma and brought it here to the resort! Do you know,” he continued, looking at Stavros. “That the only other species in the known universe capable of forming such a perfect love bond with their mates are the Havoc males of Xander Prime? But that is only because they are distant cousins to the Kindred. And even though they can bond, they mostly choose not to. It is most tragic, truly.”

“This male claims to be a Havoc,” the male face of the Joined One said as it pointed at Stavros. “But we now have proof that he is not. Bring them forward,” it barked.

At once several armed Hossan guards brought two prisoners forward. One was a tall Kindred male with dark hair and steel gray eyes whom Stavros recognized as Six, the Dark Kindred male who had defected to the Mother Ship. The other was bride, a petite girl from Earth with long black hair whose name escaped him. Both of them were heavily shackled.

“Mei-Li!” Charlotte blurted out, her eyes widening. “And Six, right?” She looked at the tall Dark Kindred who nodded shortly. “What are the two of you doing here?”

“We came to warn you.” Mei-Li shook her head. “But we were attacked and boarded by these guys before we could get a transmission out to you.”

“You see?” The male face of the Joined One looked at J’lorgan triumphantly. “They know each other! They are in league against us.”

J’lorgan frowned. “My dear Na’ho—I am beginning to believe that you think everyone is in league against you. The joining of your mind and body to Ya’he’s has made you paranoid and more than a little mad.”

“No, we speak the truth! These spies have come to steal the Heart of Love!” the female face protested.

“Now, Ya’he—how can they steal that which cannot be stolen?” J’lorgan shook his head and looked at the guards. “Please escort this…creature who used to be Ya’he and Na’ho from my presence and see that it is secured until I can decide what to do with it.” He sighed. “I had thought to banish it but now I see that I must look into the matter further. But first I must deal with you.” He pointed at Stavros and Charlotte. “Tell me the true reason you are here and be quick about it.”

As the Joined One was escorted from the Heart of Love, Stavros took a deep breath and began to talk.

“It is true I am not a Havoc and Charlotte is not truly my bride,” he began. “But we had good reason to come here and pretense seemed the only way in. You see, Charlotte’s home world, Earth, is under attack by the Dark Kindred. We are outmanned and outgunned and we had but one hope—the Goddess has given us a prophesy...”

“Ah, the Goddess. Yes…yes.” The old male nodded thoughtfully. “I know of her. A wise and kindly deity—she cares greatly for her children. You may proceed—what is this prophesy?”

Six stepped forward. “It was given through me. I will recite it.”

“Please do.” J’lorgan nodded respectfully.

Six took a deep breath.

“Cursed to find an early grave

Will be the one the Light to Save

The Pain of others he must feel

The wounds of others he can heal

To stop the evil he must find

The Heart of Love in J’lorgon’s Mind

To bring it to the void and cold

And cast it in, he must be bold.

For when the Dark is burned to ash

Only then will danger pass

But when it does…”

“When it does, what?” Stav asked. “Commander Sylvan told me there were people looking to find the missing stanza. That seems to be part of it but what is the rest?”

“There is more,” Six said heavily. “But I feel I must reveal it to you alone, Stavros. You are the one it concerns.”

“You may reveal it later,” J’lorgan said, frowning. “For it makes no difference. As you see, the Heart of Love is not an object you can bring with you anywhere. It is pure emotion—pure love and kindness and understanding.” He motioned to the glowing plasma around him. “It took me cycles and cycles to refine and purify it. It is everything positive but it is emotion—it cannot be held in the hand or transported in any way.”

“Well can it be bottled somehow?” Charlotte asked desperately. “Maybe put in a Tupperware container for later?”

J’lorgan shrugged. “Try to hold some of it. Go on—it is very concentrated but it will not hurt you to touch it for a moment.”

Charlotte reached out hesitantly and stuck her hand into the plasma. Stavros watched as she tried to pull some of it out. It was like trying to catch water or air. Her hand moved freely into it but when she pulled it out, there was nothing there. She tried again and again with no success.

“It is no good, my dear,” J’lorgan said gently. “It simply cannot be done.”

“But…but please, Sir—it’s my home planet we’re talking about here!” Charlotte looked at him pleadingly in a way that wrung Stav’s heart. “The Dark Kindred are going to take over and either kill or enslave everybody and that’s only after they suck out all their emotions!”

“They’re not just going too—they’ve already begun,” Six said grimly. “Several of Earth’s largest cities have already been harvested despite all the best efforts of the Kindred of the Mother Ship.”

“What?” Charlotte’s eyes grew wide. “You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding!”

“Tokyo, Rome, Paris…” Mei’-Li shook her head, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Gone. Or at least, all the people who live there are gone. They’ve been taken by the Dark Kindred. The Earth leaders are finally beginning to listen to us when we say the Kindred of the Mother Ship are trying to help but I’m afraid it’s going to be too late if we can’t stop the Dark Kindred soon.”

“Oh my God!” Charlotte stumbled and would have fallen if Stav hadn’t caught her. “God,” she whispered again. “I just…I can’t believe it.” She looked up at J’lorgan. “You see what we’re up against? Can’t you please help us somehow? Please?”

J’lorgan shook his head sorrowfully, his long white hair floating in the plasma currents. “I am sorry, child. But unless you have a living organism which can absorb the emotion of the plasma it into its very body, none of it can be carried away.”

“But we do—I can do that.” Stavros stepped forward.

“Can you?” J’lorgan looked interested. “But how?”

Rapidly, Stav explained about the parasite which caused his Mark.

“So you feel only the pain of others?” J’lorgan asked, frowning. “But there is no pain in the Heart. Only love and joy and fulfillment.”

“Mostly all I feel is the pain of others,” Stavros said. “Except…except with Charlotte.” He cast a glance at her, remembering the waves of pleasure he’d felt coming from her as he tasted her this last time. Of the intense sensation she’d been having when he filled her with his seed. “With her…I sometimes feel pleasure as well,” he murmured.

“Well then…that changes things.” J’lorgan nodded. “I suppose this Mark of yours might be able to absorb and transport positive emotion—at least for a little while. But it would be very taxing to you physically and I am not at all certain how you will use it even if you did manage to collect some of the Heart into yourself.”

“I’m not sure either,” Stav said grimly. “But we have to do something. I’m certain the Goddess wouldn’t have sent us here to the Heart of Love unless there was some way to use it to defeat the Dark Kindred.”

“Then if you truly wish to, you may come into the plasma with me.” J’lorgan beckoned to him. “But I warn you, immersion in the special concentrated plasma can be quite overwhelming. I hope you are in good health with a strong heart.”

“I am,” Stav said although he knew that his Curse put his body under unnatural strain constantly. Still, the Goddess had sent him here for a reason. Surely she wouldn’t let him die before he completed it. Would she?

He started to step into the pinkish-gold cylinder but Six reached out one manacled hand to him.

“Stavros, wait. I feel I must talk to you before you offer yourself in this way.”

“What is it?” Charlotte was looking worried. “Is this stuff going to hurt him?” She nodded at the plasma. “My hand is still numb and tingly from where I touched it. I don’t know about Stav getting all the way into it.”

“It’s not just the plasma…it’s the prophesy,” Six said. “But I can reveal it only to Stavros—I am sorry.”

Charlotte got a stubborn expression on her face.

“Well, I’m his partner. If something affects his health and wellbeing, I’m entitled to know about it.”

Six shook his head, looking every bit as stubborn as she did.

“I am sorry but this is confidential information. I will speak only to Stavros.”

“But—”

“Charlotte, give me a moment.” Stav stepped to the side, drawing Six with him. The Dark Kindred was still manacled and he motioned to one of the remaining guards to unlock him and Mei-Li. After a nod from J’lorgan, the guard did so. They stepped outside the golden pillar and back into the outer room, Stavros trying not to see Charlotte’s angry, worried face as he went.

“Good,” Six said, when they were out of earshot. “This message must be for you alone because you alone can decide what must be done.”

“Tell me,” Stav said. “What about the prophesy?”

“I know the rest of it,” Six said grimly. “And it does not bode well for you. Listen:

For when the Dark is burned to ash

Only then will danger pass

But when it does, it steals his breath

To seal Dark’s doom, the fate is…”

“Is what?” Stav demanded.

Six sighed heavily. “Death—the fate is death. Stavros, if you do this, you will surely die. The prophesy foretells it.”

Stav took a deep breath. Death. He would be going to his death. But I’d be doing it to save Charlotte’s beloved home world, he thought. And what better way to go than that? Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to live past forty cycles anyway. His heart would give out long before then from the constant strain of his Curse. He might be cutting off a few years, but his life was already more than half over—he had never expected to live to a ripe old age anyway.

“I’m going to do it,” he said, looking at Six. “I’m the only one who can. I can’t let Charlotte’s entire world die when I can do something about it.”

“You…love her then?” Six spoke as though the idea of love was a slightly foreign concept—one which he had only recently become familiar with.

“I do,” Stav said. “More than anything. More than life.”

“You will be leaving her behind,” Six pointed out. “She will grieve you.”

Stav shook his head.

“I don’t think so. She doesn’t feel for me as I do for her. She has reasons to dislike our people.” He thought of her sister’s suicide. “Valid reasons.”

“She worries for you,” Six said. “Concern is a sign of love—I have learned that recently.”

“She doesn’t love me,” Stav said roughly. “But I love her. And that is why I must do this.”

The Dark Kindred nodded gravely.

“I understand and respect your decision.”

“Good. Then I must ask for your absolute discretion in this matter,” Stav said seriously. “I do not want Charlotte to know this is going to kill me. She can know that it might be difficult and dangerous but she must not know that it will be fatal.”

“Agreed.” Six nodded again.

“Gods…” Stavros ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know what I’m doing. Once I absorb as much of the Heart’s emotion plasma as I can, what am I supposed to do with it? Where can I go with it that will negatively affect the Dark Kindred in any way—let alone completely incapacitate them?”

“As to that,” Six said thoughtfully. “Since the last stanza of the prophesy was sent to me, I have been giving it much thought. I believe I have an idea of where you must go and what you must do. Listen carefully…”

* * * * *

“I don’t like this,” Charlie said to Mei-Li who was waiting with her in front of the vast pillar of pink plasma while Stavros and Six talked outside. J’lorgan had floated to the far side of his plasma tube and was quietly drifting with his eyes closed. “I don’t know what’s going on but something feels wrong…something feels off,” she said, tapping her bare foot nervously against the metal floor.

Mei-Li bit her lip.

“I…I don’t know what’s going on either, exactly.”

“What are they talking about?” Charlie started pacing. “What the hell are they planning?”

“Strategy, maybe?” the other girl suggested.

“So why couldn’t they talk strategy in front of us? In front of me?” Charlie demanded. “I’m his partner—we trust each other with our lives. We’re not supposed to have secrets.”

“So he’s just your partner?” Mei-Li murmured, raising one slim black eyebrow at her. “I mean, that’s all? You two…didn’t get, you know, any closer while you were here pretending to play house?”

Charlie felt her cheeks getting hot.

“Well, I mean…we did what we had to do, you know? But no, he’s my partner, that’s all,” she said firmly.

“Oh, okay.” Mei-Li shrugged. “I just thought…but never mind. It’s probably for the best anyway. Forming relationships with coworkers is always messy.”

“Exactly.” Charlie felt relieved that she understood. “Too messy. Especially when the stakes are so high. God…” She shook her head. “I just can’t believe Rome is gone. I was going to visit there someday, you know?”

“I’ve been,” Mei-Li said quietly. “With my dad. It’s really loud and noisy and crowded. Well anyway, it used to be.” She stopped abruptly.

“Well, when I get back home,” Charlie began but just then Stavros and Six came back in through the opening in the golden outer pillar.

“We have a plan,” Stav announced. “J’lorgan, we need the Joined One to do something before you, uh, imprison it or whatever you’re planning to do.”

“Of course, of course…” The old male’s eyes fluttered open and he drifted back through the plasma to look at them. “Tell me what you need.”

Stavros took a deep breath.

“We need them to call Two, the Commander of the Dark Kindred, and tell him they have a prisoner to hand over to him.”

“What? So that’s the plan—just let the Dark Kindred take us?” Charlie demanded.

“Not us—just me.” Stav stepped past her. “Now if you will excuse me, I have a plasma bath to take.”

Chapter Thirty-three

“I can’t believe we just let them take him,” Charlie whispered, staring out of the viewscreen of the ship which Six was piloting. It was a Dark Kindred craft, one he had taken from their home world of Zeaga Four when he and Mei-Li made their escape. This was good, according to him, because it had special technology which allowed them to fly in some kind of camouflage mode if they needed to.

He and Mei-Li had only been captured by the Hossan guards in the first place because they were out of stealth mode and attempting to dock peacefully at the resort. But Six seemed confident they could get back to the Mother Ship without the Dark Kindred being the wiser as long as they were careful.

Trouble was, Charlie didn’t want to go back to the Mother Ship. She didn’t want to go anywhere but after Stavros who was rapidly disappearing in the Dark Kindred battle cruiser which had just lifted off from the resort. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of the way they had parted…

She’d been so worried when he first went into the plasma—he’d stumbled and gone to his knees when he was fully submersed, making her want to run in after him. Only Six holding her back and Mei-Li whispering in her ear that she had to stay here, that it wasn’t safe, had stopped her.

But slowly Stav staggered to his feet and waved at her.

“Okay—I am all right,” he said, his voice carrying through the strange medium as well as J’lorgan’s did.

“What is it like in there?” Charlie demanded. “Are you in pain? If you are you ought to come out right now!”

“It’s not painful,” Stav assured her. His long hair floated up around his head, looking strangely like a halo. “It’s intense but not painful. I feel as if…” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. “As if I am being infused with pure light. As though light is taking the place of all the blood in my body.”

“I don’t like that,” Charlie said nervously. “Light can’t carry oxygen to your heart and brain and organs! I think you’d better get out.”

“In good time, my dear. All in good time,” J’lorgan said in a placating tone. “Give your lover’s body time to absorb the Heart’s energy and emotion.”

“He’s not my lover. Um, I mean…” Charlie coughed, realizing that was no longer strictly true. “Anyway, we’re just partners,” she finished rather lamely.

“Just partners,” Stavros rumbled and had she seen sadness in his eyes?

Charlie told herself it was too hard to be sure—what with the plasma swirling all around him. And anyway, why should it make him sad they were just partners? Sure he’d shouted that he loved her as he came but he was hardly the first man to ever proclaim his love at the heat of the moment. No doubt he was regretting those words already. Wasn’t he?

Stav stayed in the plasma a good twenty minutes, which was about nineteen minutes longer than Charlie was really comfortable with. Her own hand still tingled just from being for a few seconds. How was the weird, concentrated stuff affecting his body?

When he finally came out, she got her answer. Stavros looked the same but his Mark was…different.

The black lines had always had a kind of iridescent rainbow sheen to them—like the little rainbows that form on the surface of an oil slick. But now they seemed to be leaking light too—their edges were outlined with a brilliant golden glow that made the big Kindred look like he had swallowed a small sun which was trying to find a way out from under his skin.

Six took one look at him and shook his head.

“That will never do—Two will know that something is wrong as soon as he sees you.”

He shrugged out of the heavy satin uniform shirt he was wearing—it was black with silver buttons engraved with Kindred symbols on them—and handed it to Stavros.

“Put this one,” he advised. “And turn up the collar. You must hide all of your markings or they will give you away.”

Stav took the shirt and slipped it on. Since he and Six were about the same size, it fit him well enough and hid the tell-tale glowing evidence of his time in the Heart of Love.

“Do you feel all right?” Charlie asked, approaching him as he buttoned the uniform shirt. “I mean, are you…are you well?” She used the same question he had always used on her without thinking about it but the moment it came out of her mouth she knew it felt right.

Stavros gave her a smile that seemed a little sad.

“I am well, falinda,” he murmured, cupping her cheek. “And I hope you will be well too.”

“I’ll be okay as long…as long as you are,” Charlie said. Then backpedaling hastily she added, “I mean, you better come back in one piece. I don’t like turning you over to the enemy like this.”

He shrugged his broad shoulders fatalistically.

“It’s the only way to get to where I need to be. To where this…” he motioned at his back where the now-glowing Mark lay hidden under the black shirt. “Can do the most good.”

“But—”

He cut her off with a kiss. One so bittersweet and hungry that Charlie had found herself opening to him despite the fact that she knew everyone was watching.

The moment her lips parted, she gasped at the strange sensation of some of the glowing pinkish light leaving Stav, entering her body and sliding down her throat. It was like swallowing warm, melted gold but the flavor wasn’t at all metallic—it was more like vanilla and caramel and warm, melted butter all rolled into one. It was at once delicious, addictive, and frighteningly intense.

Then someone was saying that the Dark Kindred were on their way and would be there in a matter of minutes to collect their prisoner. Mei-Li took her by the arm and pulled her away.

“Come on, Charlie—we have to get going. Two can’t find us here or we’ll all be in big trouble.”

“I know, but…” Charlie didn’t to leave. She wanted to stay with Stav, to hold on and never let go. To tell him…to tell him what? What could she possibly say? Charlie had no idea, only that she had something she wanted to tell him only the words just wouldn’t come.

Stavros, however, didn’t seemed to be affected by her lack of speech. As they pulled apart, he cupped her cheek once more and whispered, “I meant everything I said. Goodbye, Charlie.”

And then Mei-Li and Six were hustling her out of the Pillar of the Heart and off to the waiting ship so they could get well away before the Dark Kindred battle cruiser docked. Charlie’s last glimpse of the big Kindred had been of him standing beside the pillar of glowing plasma and looking at her with eyes filled with some emotion she couldn’t name…

“I just can’t believe we handed him over,” Charlie repeated, staring at the huge, departing cruiser. “It doesn’t feel right, somehow.”

“He must go to Zeaga Four,” Six explained patiently. “There is a special building there—the Tower of the Collective. The only way Stavros can get into the Tower is in the company of one who has Primary Access as Two does.”

“The Collective is the group of sentient machines that run Zeaga Four,” Mei-Li explained helpfully. “They make all the decisions for the entire planet—they’re kind of the nerve center for the whole place.”

“And what’s Stav supposed to do once he gets in there?” Charlie grumbled. “Feel the damn computers to death or something?”

“Possibly,” Six replied seriously. “You see, the Collective exists in a very delicate balance within the Tower. They are powered by a bio-electrical silica cable net so thin and fine it makes the web of your Earth arachnid the spider look thick and dull in comparison. This net allows incredibly fast communication between the Collective and the rest of the planet as well as their organic representative—in this case, Two. However, its delicacy means it is extremely sensitive to bio-electromagnetic interference.”

“Okay, not to sound stupid but…huh?” Charlie raised an eyebrow at him.

“Did you know that all living entities give off a low level charge, much like a battery?” Six asked. “This charge grows during times of great emotion or stress.”

“Oh…” Charlie was beginning to get the idea. “So if he goes out in the middle of their power-net thing and lets loose with all that emotional energy he just got from the Heart of Love plasma…”

“The resulting charge may be enough to fry the Collective,” Mei-Li finished for her.

“Wait—fry it like literally fry it? As in some kind of explosion or something? That doesn’t sound so good.” Charlie imagined Stavros in the middle of a bank of exploding computers—the big, bulky cabinet kind like you always saw in really old sci-fi movies. In her mind’s eye, the cabinets all blew sky high—but where did that leave Stavros?

“Well…” Mei-Li and Six exchanged a glance Charlie couldn’t read.

“What about Stavros?” she demanded, beginning to get scared. “Why are you two looking at each other like that? What is this going to do to him?”

“Charlotte…” Six sighed deeply. “I do not think anyone, even someone with the strongest heart, could withstand the blowback surge of bio-electrical energy which may follow an overload of the Collective. Once he touches the Apex Point in the center of the room—”

“What?” Charlie felt a cold heart grip her heart. “So you sent him in there like some kind of…of suicide bomber?”

“Essentially, yes,” Six said.

“And…” Charlie felt sick. “And you’re saying he could die?”

“It is a definite possibility,” Six said reluctantly. Then he frowned. “No, I must be honest though Stavros asked me to dissemble. It is almost a certainty.”

“What?” Charlie was up and out of her seat now. “You mean we just sent him off to his freaking doom? And you thought I’d be okay with that? What’s wrong with you people?”

Mei-Li looked miserable.

“We wanted to tell you but you kept saying you were only friends and co-workers.”

“Besides, Stavros wanted to do this,” Six said firmly. “He told me that he wanted to save your home world for you more than anything else. He said he wanted it more than he wanted to go on living.”

“But…but I don’t want him to die,” Charlie protested. She had begun pacing in the small, cramped ship’s center isle. Six and Mei-Li looked at each other again but neither tried to get her to sit down and shut up. “I don’t want him to die—do you hear me?” Charlie shouted. “We have to go get him. Right now!”

“I told you, only Two may dock at the Tower—he is the only one with Preferential codes,” Six explained.

“But you just got finished telling me all about this ship’s ‘stealth mode,’” Charlie pointed out. “Why should anyone have to know we’re docking? Why can’t you just shadow his ship—hang on like a flea on a dog’s back?”

“Well…” Six frowned. “Technically it may be possible…”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Charlie demanded. “Go—get up after it!”

Instead of looking at her, Six looked at Mei-Li.

“It will be dangerous. If we are caught, Two will show us no mercy. I do not worry for myself but I would not put you in danger.”

“I know it’s dangerous.” Mei-Li reached across the narrow isle to squeeze his hand. “But if it was me, I’d want to go after you, no matter what.” She looked up at Charlie. “He’s more than just a co-worker and partner to you, isn’t he?”

“I don’t know what he is!” Charlie had begun crying by now—she couldn’t help it. “All I know is that we just let him go to his death and I can’t let that happen—I can’t let him die!”

“All right.” Six started manipulating the controls and suddenly the Dark Kindred cruiser, which had shrunk to a speck in their viewscreen, began to grow larger.

“Will we make it? Can we catch them?” Charlie asked doubtfully, swiping at her eyes.

“We will try,” Six said grimly. “I can make no other promise than that. We will try.”

The three of them leaned forward, all eyes on the viewscreen and the Dark Kindred ship ahead.

None of them saw the fourth set of eyes, small and red, concealed under the last passenger chair.

* * * * *

“I will have him now. I want a new host—one which I can control fully.”

“I have told you, Ur, the Collective wishes to interview him first. They cannot get accurate information if you are already infesting him like a swarm of tzzgs in a rotten log.”

Stavros sat back in his chair—which he was manacled to with plasti-steel chains that made the Kindred handcuffs Charlotte had put on him when she first captured him look like child’s play—and watched his captor (or was it captors?) fight about his eventual fate. Their fighting didn’t bother him, though. He didn’t really care what they did to him as long as he got to complete his mission first.

Beneath the heavy black uniform shirt he had borrowed from Six, he could feel his mark glowing. It didn’t hurt but it didn’t feel exactly comfortable either. It was like having pure starlight trapped under his skin, trying to get out. He was glad the shirt was of such thick material that the light didn’t show through.

Despite his discomfort, he felt calm. He had always known he would die young and at least this way, he would be dying for a good cause—to save the planet of the woman he loved.

Oh, Charlotte…falinda…

He could not repress a sigh when he thought of her. He wondered where she was right now—hopefully on her way back to the Mother Ship and safety. He just prayed he was in time to stop the Dark Kindred from making another attack on her home planet. She had looked so devastated when Mei-Li told her how some of its major cities had already been destroyed. He wanted to keep that from happening again.

Charlotte was his only regret in all this, he had to admit to himself. But even if he hadn’t been destined to die in order to destroy the Dark Kindred, he never could have claimed her as a bride. Even if she would have had him—and he knew she wouldn’t, not with her past pain in the way—he couldn’t have allowed himself to bond with her. It would be wrong to tie her to him knowing he was Cursed…wrong to form a permanent soul bond knowing he was destined to die young and possibly drag her down with him…

“I tell you, I will have him—I must!”

“I don’t think so, my demonic friend. Just try to get lose and go to him. Go on—try.”

Stav looked up to see a very strange sight. Two, the Dark Kindred Commander, was pacing jerkily in front of him up and down the long isle between the seats filled with Dark Kindred warriors. They all stared stoically ahead, obviously not interested in what was happening to their commander. But Stavros couldn’t take his eyes from the scene.

The Dark Kindred Commander was jerking this way and that, twitching as though he was having spasms or seizures. When Ur spoke from his mouth, the left side of his face and body jerked wildly but when Two spoke, the right side was clearly dominant.

Two seemed to be winning this internal war. At least, Stav didn’t feel any demonic presence trying to invade him. He wondered what would happen if it did. Could a purely evil being like Ur stand to be in contact with all the positive emotions of love and understanding and kindness which his Mark had soaked up like a sponge? He seemed destined never to find out because clearly Two was keeping the errant demon hostage inside his body.

“Let…me…go!” Ur bellowed. “How dare you hold me against my will?”

“Maybe because I like you.” Two seemed to be smirking. “You’re such good company.”

“I have never had a host hold me against my will—never!” the demon seethed.

“Maybe because you’ve never had a willing host before,” Two mused. “But I would be very sorry to lose you—I was so lonely before you came. No…I don’t think you’d better leave to inhabit our new friend after all. I like having you in me.”

“Sooner or later you will have to let me go or lose your free will completely,” Ur snarled. “I already have control of the left side of your body—how long do you think it will be until I also gain control of the right side?”

“Oh, I would say…probably forever,” Two remarked. “You see, my enhancements and all my neural links are on the right side—they form an impassible barrier you will never be able to penetrate.”

His only answer was an inarticulate howl of rage—clearly the demon was venting his wrath about being trapped within his host.

“Now, now,” Two said, when he had complete control of his mouth again. “I think you should be glad that I still want you, after all the trouble you’ve caused. You haven’t exactly been the easiest guest, you know—tipping our hand too early to get the Heart of Love or to find out why the Kindred want it. Unsettling the Hossans so that they would only release one of the prisoners to us.” He nodded at Stavros who stared blandly back.

“Not to mention destroying all those lovely cities on Earth before I got a chance to properly play with the inhabitants first.” Two made a tsking sound with his long, thin tongue against his metal teeth. “Really, if you weren’t so much fun to have around, I would have taken you back to the Black Planet by now. You’re lucky I like you, Ur.”

Stavros frowned as he watched the bizarre exchange. It occurred to him that Two was not in the strictest sense of the word sane. For why would any sane person want a demon living inside them? And why would he wish to keep Ur from leaving? Not that Stav was complaining—he preferred not to be possessed. If he was going to die doing his duty, he wanted to be in his right mind when he did it.

“Now do try to relax,” Two said, still apparently talking to his demonic passenger. “We’re about to go through the fold in space and I don’t want you getting all excited when we do. It’s…unsettling.”

“I will show you ‘unsettling’,” Ur growled. “I will be free of you, Two. And with the next host I take I will wreak such vengeance on you as will make you fucking beg for mercy and pray for death.”

Two tsked again. “Now, now—such language! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, you don’t because it is my mouth and I never had a mother!” He broke into peals of strange, jagged laugher that set the short hairs at the back of Stav’s neck standing on end.

Insane—he’s definitely gone insane. Holding the demon within him for so long has broken his mind.

As though he could feel Stavros thinking about him, Two turned to stare at him with an amused expression on his face.

“And you, my dear Kindred—still nothing to say?”

Stav just stared at him.

“I suppose you’re thinking of your little paramour—the one the Joined One refused to release to us,” Two mused. “I expect you’re sitting there, consoling yourself that at least she got away, hmmm?”

Still Stav said nothing.

“Well, it might interest you to know that she didn’t get away.” Two smirked at him. “In fact, she and my old colleague, Six and his lovely little bride are hot on our tail right this minute.”

Stav surged forward to the limit of his manacles.

“You lie,” he growled.

“Oh but it’s true.” Two’s one visible eye glittered with glee. “They think because they are using stealth mode that I don’t know they’re there. But I have eyes everywhere and they are following. No doubt they are coming to your rescue.”

“They wouldn’t!” Stavros protested. But he was dying inside. Though he hated to admit it, Two must be telling the truth. How else could he know about Six and Mei-Li?

“They would and they are.” Two grinned at him nastily, exposing all his metal teeth. “And so we’re going to have a little surprise all set up for them the minute we all reach the Tower of the Collective.”

He turned away, still grinning nastily, and left Stav to fight with his manacles. He had to get free—had to get away and warn them—warn Charlotte!

But though he twisted and fought until his wrists were raw and bleeding, he couldn’t get loose. The Dark Kindred ship carried him on into the red, jagged rift in space towards a destiny he couldn’t control or avoid.

Chapter Thirty-four

“I don’t like this. It’s too easy.” Six frowned as they stepped into the metal vestibule that connected to the outside docking platform. It had been left conveniently unguarded after the Dark Kindred had exited their craft. Two had been among them, leading Stavros who was bound with thick, unbreakable chains.

The Tower of the Collective was easily the tallest building in a city filled with monstrous sky-scrapers. Charlie, who had been to New York, thought it was at least twice as tall as the Empire State building. Inside, it was a featureless series of wide, windowless, dull silver hallways which branched out into several smaller corridors as they went along.

Six had informed them they were headed to the Hall of the Collective—the main room where all the sentient machines were housed. Charlie just hoped they could get there before it was too late but now he was saying it was “too easy.” And while it was true they hadn’t run into any guards, couldn’t they all just be busy doing other things?

“Do you think we should go back?” Mei-Li asked in a low voice. She and Charlie were both dressed in long black robes with hoods which at least hid the fact that they were female. Charlie would have been glad to have something to go over the mostly see-through white novice gown she’d been wearing for days but she was too worried about Stav to care.

“No, we can’t go back!” she hissed. “They have him—they took him inside. We have to get to him before they do something horrible!”

“Or before he fulfills his mission,” Six said, frowning. “Has it occurred to you, Charlotte, that Stavros may hold the only key to defeating our enemies? If he doesn’t act now, your entire world may die.”

Charlie shook her head stubbornly. “No, I don’t accept that. We’ll find a way—we have to. But in the mean time, I don’t think Stavros should have to die for a world that isn’t even his own.”

“You do have a point there,” Mei-Li said. “Although I can’t help worrying about what’s going to happen to Earth if Stavros doesn’t do what he came to. And we—”

They were rounding a corner as she spoke, and her words came to an abrupt halt as they nearly ran into Two and a whole battalion of Dark Kindred warriors.

“What’s going to happen to Earth my dear?” Two smirked at them, showing his gleaming metal teeth. “Why, it’s going to get eaten up, every…last…crumb.” He smacked his thin, liver colored lips together in apparent delight.

“Two!” Six surged forward but four guards every bit as big and imposing as he was had suddenly appeared on all sides of him, holding him fast.

“You never should have returned, old friend,” Two said, smiling at him nastily. “Though I am glad you’re here. It will be good for you to witness the complete and utter failure of your plan and the eventual destruction of your paramour’s planet.” He motioned at the guards which were holding all of them now. “Bring them all to the Hall of the Collective.” Then he swept off down the long metal corridor, his black leather coat flapping behind him.

Without emotion, the huge warriors began to march after him, dragging their prisoners as they went. Charlie struggled and cursed but the two Dark Kindred warriors on either side of her were much too strong to fight. They each wore some kind of bulky battle armor and had an iron grip on her arms. Beside her, she could see Mei-Li struggling as well. After a while, though, she gave up and let herself be dragged along. Looking to the side, she caught Charlie’s eye and shrugged.

“It’ll be all right,” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the tramp and clank of the many booted feet against the metal floor. “Save your strength—we’ll think of something.”

What the hell they were going to think of, Charlie had no idea. She only knew she was scared to death and not for herself—for Stavros. What had Two meant when he said he wanted them to witness the failure of their plans? How did he know they had any plan at all? Then again, how had he known they had followed him?

Before she could even begin to guess at the answers, the whole company turned a wide corner and found themselves in front of a vast set of black iron double doors. To Charlie, they looked completely out of place in the plain blank metal halls. They were huge—twenty feet tall at least and half again as wide—with some elaborate scrolling scrip carved all over them. They looked more like the gateway to an ancient medieval stronghold than the entrance to a high tech computer room.

They stopped in front of the doors and Two turned to see her staring at them.

“Ah, I see you are admiring our entryway,” he said, smiling. “Yes, it is a leftover from those who came before—before the Collective took over as the rulers of Zeaga Four, that is. It amused the ancient ones to build this most sacred room as a kind of shrine to the beings housed within.” He looked back at the elaborately carved doors admiringly. “They did it ironically, I believe but as it so often does, the truth swallowed their lie whole. The Collective took over and now they guard and rule this planet as sternly as any deity that ever was—nor do they tolerate unbelievers.”

At a motion from him, the heavy doors were heaved open by four guards on each side, revealing a room bigger than a football stadium. Two’s voice rang out shrilly, echoing in the vast space.

“Behold…the sanctuary of the only Gods I have ever known or shall ever know. Behold, the Hall of the Collective!”

Charlie caught her breath at the enormity of the vast space. It didn’t seem like such a huge area could be captured indoors and yet it was there, right in front of her.

The room seemed to spread out forever, an illusion doubtless helped along by the dim bluish lighting which didn’t seem to illuminate much. Charlie had been picturing the rows and rows of old-fashioned computer banks for some reason, though she knew beings as advanced as the Collective probably wouldn’t look like an image from an old Earth film. So she wasn’t very surprised when she didn’t see anything that matched the metal image in her head. What did surprise her, though, was that she didn’t see anything at all—at least, not at first.

When she did, she took in a deep breath. Suspended from the high ceiling were clusters of dark globe-like lights winking and twinkling with quiet malevolence in the dim room. They hung in clusters like poisoned grapes, connected with slender black cables that seemed to be shooting sparks of light back and forth between them. Once she saw them, she noticed that the entire room was full of them, cluster upon cluster of dark lights, like black globes lit from within, crowding the vast space like some kind of malevolent growth that was taking over the entire huge room.

Below the clusters was another network, this one harder to see because it had no lights in it. It was a net of fine white gossamer-like threads that stretched up to every globule of light and down to the metal floor thousands of feet below.

For Charlie now saw that they were standing on the metal lip of a vast chasm. The huge room wasn’t only wide, it was deep as well. Indeed, when she dared to peer over the edge she saw that the space was so much more immense than she had first supposed, the sight made her dizzy. You could probably empty the Great Lakes in here and still have room for a river or two, she thought, drawing back hastily.

There was a thin tongue of metal—a kind of walkway that led out into the middle of the enormous room. It extended out like a narrow bridge over a chasm and ended at the very center where all the thin white gossamer threads which glimmered in the light of the dark globes seemed to converge in a single point before branching out again towards the floor.

Those white threads must be the net Six as talking about, Charlie thought, staring at its many glimmering strands. The one that powers this whole place. And that’s the Apex Point in the center—if what Six said is right, the power’s all gathered there.

There was something else—someone crouching in the center of the round platform at the very end of the metal tongue. Charlie couldn’t tell who or what it was in the dim light but then it raised its head and she saw a faint glimmer of reddish auburn gold.

“Stav?” she breathed uncertainly. “But if he’s out there, shouldn’t the Collective—”

“Shouldn’t the Collective be overloaded by all the emotion he somehow managed to bring with him?” Two finished her half whispered question for her. “Why yes, you would think so, wouldn’t you? But you see, you made the mistake of bringing the only one kind of emotion—positive emotion. The Collective’s power net is well grounded against such gentle feelings. To excite the kind of explosion you were no doubt hoping for, it would take a much more volatile mixture. Something with hate and loathing and spite—all the really intense emotions as well as the sweet, mild, gentle ones your Stavros was able to carry in his Mark.”

“How do you know all this?” Charlotte blurted. “How could you possible know about our plans or that we were at the J’lorgan’s Mind resort looking for the Heart of Love in the first place?”

“How do I know? I have eyes everywhere—observe.”

Suddenly a small creature about the size of a large rat came scuttling between the booted feet of the Dark Kindred up to Two’s side. It moved in a jerky fashion that made her think of a remote controlled toy but it had black and purple fur and glowing red eyes.

Those eyes…where have I seen those eyes before?

Then it came back to her—the red eyes she’d seen peeking out at her in the kitchen area of the Kindred shuttle she had Stav had taken to the J’lorgan’s Mind resort in the first place.

“A furskin,” she heard Six growl.

“A spybot now—and a very useful one,” the Dark Kindred Commander sneered. He looked at Charlie. “My little furry friend here has been keeping me informed of your whereabouts and intentions the entire time you were at the resort and you never even noticed it.”

“So you’re up to your old tricks, Two.” Six sounded disgusted. “Modifying creatures to suite your own purposes—just like the sniffers.”

“Yes, my lovely sniffers.” Two smiled malevolently. “They are so going to enjoy tearing the lot of you apart after I’ve made my point. Regrettably I cannot bring them to the Hall of the Collective. Though they’re not supposed to have emotions I have found it actually helps to give them some. Their animosity and rage would be far too much for the power net to handle, especially mixed with the positive emotions Stavros has so thoughtfully brought us.”

“Is he—is Stav all right?” Charlie couldn’t help asking. “Why isn’t he moving much? Why did you put him out there by the center of the net?”

“Why to prove a point, my dear. To show you definitively that your sad little plans cannot defeat the greatest minds the universe has ever known or will ever know. Observe!”

Two strode out onto the narrow metal walkway suspended in space in the center of the vast room. His boots clanked, echoing in the emptiness but he seemed not the least distressed by the thousand foot drop on either side. When he got to the round platform in the center, he stood perfectly still a moment.

“Lights.” He spoke softly in that high, unpleasant voice but the clusters of black grape globes which must be the Collective suddenly began to glow brighter. “Thank you.” Two nodded respectfully around him, acknowledging his sentient machine masters.

Looking closely, Charlie saw that Stavros was indeed crouched on the metal platform, his head bowed. She couldn’t be sure but it seemed he was chained down in some way—maybe by his hands which would explain the awkward position he was in. Her heart clenched.

The bastards are too afraid to let him up! She felt a surge of anger followed by a surge of fear and regret. Stavros, oh God, I wish I could have talked to you…wish I could have told you…But told him what? She still didn’t quite know. She only knew she wished with all her heart that she had just a little more time.

But it seemed her time was up—what was Two going to do?

* * * * *

Crouched on the metal platform balanced precariously above the void, Stavros was wondering the same thing. He already knew that their plan had failed. Obviously the mixture of emotions he had managed to collect with his Mark wasn’t volatile enough to affect the power net of the Collective.

He had even managed to reach out one hand and wind one of the silky white strands around his finger when Two had first manacled his wrists to the platform. He’d been hoping that direct contact with net would do the trick. And indeed, for a brief moment he’d thought he felt a tremor run through the line he held and the clusters of black globe lights that represented the Collective’s many processing systems had flickered briefly. But that was all. Clearly the emotion he had brought wasn’t enough or wasn’t the right kind or mixture of feelings.

Now he watched as the Dark Kindred Commander stood beside him, putting on a show for his own amusement.

“Behold!” he shouted and reached down to hook his long, skeletal fingers in the back of the black shirt Stav still wore. Though the fabric was thick, Two’s slender frame was deceptively strong. With a jerk, he tore the shirt away and cast it down into the yawning pit below.

At once the darkness was pierced with light as the glowing Mark was revealed, shining like stripes made of pure golden sunlight in the dim room. The gossamer-fine white line still wrapped around his little finger began to tremble and vibrate.

This is it! Stav thought hopefully. Surely it will happen now! Surely the emotion flooding out of my Mark will overcome the power net and blow the Collective to bits, just as we hoped it would!

He held his breath and closed his eyes, trying to be ready for the blast.

But instead of an explosion, he heard only the high, maniacal laughter of the Dark Kindred Commander.

“Do you see? Do you see?” he demanded, shouting at Six and Mei-Li and Charlotte who were still all gathered on the edge of the pit, staring. “Do you see what effect your pitiful little positive emotions have on my masters? Nothing! Noth—”

Two’s words were cut off by another voice, one much louder and deeper and unnaturally harsh—and it was coming from his own mouth.

“He is mine and I shall have him! You shall not keep me prisoner any longer, Two!”

Two’s bony left hand suddenly jerked towards Stav and landed flat on his back, covering the place where the Mark shone brightest.

Stav jerked in agony—it was like a sword piercing his flesh—but couldn’t shake off the hand. For a moment he felt something dark flowing into him—some black sludge from the pits of hell that had somehow gained sentience. It crawled inside him, clawing at his mind, seeking a way to own…to control…

Then he felt something else—a surge of light from under his skin. It was the positive emotion his Mark had soaked up in the Heart of Love, he was certain. It met the darkness head-on and repelled it, fighting it fiercely, denying it entrance to his soul.

It was like fire meeting water—lava meeting ice.

Or maybe nitro meeting glycerin.

Stavros began to feel the pressure build within him. The two forces were evenly matched—something had to give. The fine white wire wrapped around his little finger was vibrating madly now—the whole gossamer net which converged at the metal platform was shaking and the metal platform itself started rocking but still Two’s hand stayed stuck to his back, as though by some magnetic force or electrical charge that could not be broken.

Stav was aware of people shouting and screaming now. What he mainly heart was Two shrieking, “No, you fool! You must not try to take him now! Let go—Let go!”

There was a deep, unearthly howling which was also coming from Two’s mouth—clearly the voice of the demon, Ur, which had apparently tried to invade him.

What in the seven hells? he had time to think and then the black, dimly glowing globes that hung in clusters from the ceiling began to flicker in and out alarmingly. Directly over his head there was a sharp popping sound of glass exploding and a shower of purple-black shards rained down on the swaying metal platform.

“Stavros—Stavros!” he heard a familiar voice shouting. Looking up he saw Charlotte struggling madly with the two armed Dark Kindred guards who were still holding her.

She’s trying to come to me but it’s not safe—not safe!

“No!” he tried to call to her. “Stay back, Charlotte! Keep clear!”

But his voice came out as no more than a whisper. Inside he felt the fierce pressure building to a head. His heart was pumping harder and harder, the blood rushing in his ears. His breathing was becoming labored as the light inside him fought off the darkness that sought to invade.

“Nooooo!” The unearthly howl came not from Two’s bulging throat but from somewhere outside, someplace in the center of the white gossamer power net. Then the entire net burst into blue and purple flames.

Gods! Stavros scrambled back from the flames but he couldn’t get too far as he was still manacled by his wrists to the metal platform. He couldn’t be sure but he thought he saw something black and formless trapped in the center of the power net—something that writhed and screamed in a deep, unnaturally voice—howling in the anguished tones of the damned as it burned to death and was crisped to ash.

“Ur!” he heard Two shout. “Ur, you fool! No!”

A blast of energy came from the burning net, blowing over Stav like a fierce wave surging and churning over his head to drown him. He tried to breathe and it slid down his throat like lightning, burning and biting, scalding his heart and making him choke and retch.

Gods, he thought dizzily, his heart pounding. Can’t take much more…Going to…going to…

And then everything went black.

* * * * *

Charlie saw him collapse in the light of the burning net and nearly tore her arms out of her sockets trying to get away from the guards who held her.

“Stavros! Stav!” she screamed, kicking and clawing to be free. “Let me go—I have to get to him. Let me go!”

All around her people were shouting and stumbling because the whole room –indeed the whole tower—seemed to be experiencing some kind of an earthquake. The clusters of black, dimly glowing globes overhead were popping and spraying shards of jagged purple-black glass into the void and once, when one popped almost directly overhead, into her hair.

Charlie didn’t care. She just wanted to be free—she just wanted to get to Stavros before it was too late!

“Stavros!” she screamed again as she elbowed the guard to her right. Not that it did any good—her elbow only connected with the solid metal shell of his battle armor doing nothing but sending exquisitely excruciating sparks of pain up her arm. But for some reason, the Dark Kindred guard let go of her, even though she couldn’t have hurt him.

“Why am I doing this?” He seemed to be asking himself as much as Charlie. “I don not want to be doing this. I do not like it here. It is dark and…and unhappy.”

Suddenly the guard on her left side also dropped her arm.

“I do not like it here either,” he announced. “And now as well as unhappy, it appears to be dangerous. I wish to leave.”

“I will go if you will,” the first guard offered.

“Agreed. Why do we not seek out something pleasant—like a beverage that is alcoholic in nature?”

“A fine idea!” The second guard clapped the first one on the back. They turned and stumbled away together, walking as well as they could considering the strange tremors which were still moving through the entire huge building.

The shaking seemed to be worst in the Hall of The Collective. The globes were bursting constantly now, making the vast room darker and darker. Still, Charlie saw it when the metal walkway and platform twisted violently up to one side, shaking Stavros off like a dog shakes off a flea. When it came level again, he was no longer on it.

Her heart was in her throat and she couldn’t even scream for a moment. Then she saw him dangling over the far edge, clearly still held in place by his manacles. Two was also hanging on to the edge of the platform. He had no cuffs to hold him in place and Charlie wondered briefly how he was hanging on at all. Then she was running for the edge of the metal tongue, intending to scramble down the walkway to Stavros and grab him before he fell completely.

“NO.” A strong hand on her arm stopped her and this time it was Six.

“I have to get to him, Six—look at him!” she babbled. “He’s out there right in the middle and he’s about to fall!”

“And you think that you could bring him up again?” Six shook his head. “Forgive me, Charlotte, but he is more than twice your weight—you are not strong enough to drag him up yourself. Besides, there is Two to consider.” He nodded at the other figure, still hanging from the metal edge of the platform.

“Six is right.” Mei-Li was suddenly on her other side, reaching for her hand. “Let him go get Stavros.”

Though she hated to admit it, Charlie knew they were right.

“All right, all right…” She was clenching her fists with anxiety. “But please, hurry! And bring him back safe.”

“I will do my utmost,” Six said gravely. With surprising grace for such a large warrior, he ran lightly over the swaying metal bridge to reach the round platform in the center. The white gossamer power net had mostly burned itself out by this time. There was a blackened lump in the middle of it that smouldered and smoked but Six paid no attention to it. He steadied himself and reached over the edge to drag the other male up and over the lip of the metal platform.

Charlie didn’t like the way Stav hung so still from his manacles and flopped so limply onto the platform when Six brought him up. When she saw Six bend over him and feel Stav’s throat, obviously searching for a pulse, she felt her own pulse jump with fear.

“Is he all right?” she shouted to Six, unable to help herself. He shouted something back but she couldn’t make out the words.

Charlie slipped her hand out of Mei-Li’s and ran to the edge of the metal bridge.

“Charlie, stop!” the other girl protested, following her. “Just let Six get him.”

“I can’t help it—I have to know if he’s okay. If he’s alive or…” Charlie couldn’t make herself finish the sentence but she could see by the look in Mei-Li’s eyes the other girl knew what she was trying to say.

By now most of the shaking had stopped and the Dark Kindred Guards had dissipated. There were only a few globes overhead that remained whole and they weren’t giving out much light. Charlie knew if she was going to find out what was going on, she would have to get closer. The narrow metal bridge looked as skinny as a thread as it stretched out over the void and Charlie had never been a fan of heights. But Stavros is out there—hurt or possibly dead! I have to go to him—I have to know!

Taking a deep breath, she ran lightly across the metal bridge, not allowing herself to think about the long drop and sudden death that waited for her if she made a single slip. Luckily she was still barefoot which helped. She listened to the patter of her bare feet and kept her eyes trained on Stavros as she ran.

Though the bridge had looked incredibly long from the lip of the pit on the edge of the vast room, she was surprised at how quickly she got to the round metal island at its end. On it, Six was crouched above the supine form of Stavros with an ear pressed to his chest. There was a look of regret on his face that clawed at Charlie’s heart.

“No—no!” She skidded to a stop and fell to her knees beside Stav’s still form. A quick check showed no pulse and she couldn’t feel his chest rising and falling either.

Like Missy, just like Missy all over again! whispered a panicked little voice in her brain. He killed himself just like she did only this time he did it for you. Stavros killed himself for you and now he’s gone and he’s never coming back…

Charlie shoved the voice aside savagely and looked up at Six.

“Do you know how to do CPR?”

He shook his head.

“Never mind—come on, I’ll show you. We have to start compressions now.”

Leaning over Stavros, she laced her fingers together and found the right place just above the xiphoid process on his broad chest.

“One and two and three and four,” she chanted, pushing down as hard as she could. It was incredibly hard work since Stavros was so big but just when she was beginning to sweat and shake, Six pushed her out of the way and began copying her technique. After a moment Charlie stopped him, drew in a ragged breath, tilted Stav’s head back and breathed into him, trying to fill his lungs with oxygen. She did it again and then motioned for Six to continue compressions.

After Missy’s death, she’d practiced CPR over and over again, going so far as to get certified in college. And of course she’d had to retain that certification when she joined the PD. Now it felt like second nature, the rhythm of compressions, the deep rescue breaths which barely stirred his broad chest at all. Feeling for a pulse and trying not to think what she would do if she couldn’t get him back. If he was really gone forever…

I’ve been such an idiot! she thought savagely as she took her turn at compressions again. Denying what I felt for him…telling myself he was just a coworker, a partner. Even when he said he loved me, I brushed it off. What the hell is wrong with me? Am I really so screwed up I can’t even see love when it’s staring me right in the face?

Then someone was tapping her on the arm.

“I’m sorry, Charlotte,” she heard Six saying. “But this does not appear to be working. I fear…I fear that Stavros is dead.”

“He’s not dead!” Charlie gasped, never stopping her compressions. “We just have to give it more time. We just have to—”

Suddenly something grabbed her by the ankle and yanked her off the platform.

Charlie shrieked breathlessly as the sharp metal edge of the platform scraped the front of her body from chest to thighs. Then the world tilted and she found herself dangling upside down above the seemingly bottomless void. She heard a nasty cackle of laughter and when she looked up, she saw Two.

The Dark Kindred Commander, who was still holding onto the lip of the platform and dangling over the edge himself, had her by the ankle and was laughing as he swung her back and forth.

“Let me go!” Charlotte gasped, glaring up at him and trying not to scream.

“Oh, I don’t think you want me to do that, now do you? After all, it’s a very, very loooong way down. ” He was grinning at her, all of his metal teeth exposed. His one visible eye was dancing with madness.

Charlie stared back. All the blood was rushing to her head, making her dizzy and his skeletal hand was like an iron pincer clamped around her ankle, cutting off her circulation, but she didn’t want him to let go. Not until she got safely back on the platform—but how was she going to manage that?

“Give her back, Two.” Six was leaning over the platform now, glaring at the other Dark Kindred. “The Collective is destroyed—your power is gone. Give her back.”

“Do you know what else is gone?” Two asked in a conversational tone at odds with the madness glowing in his one exposed eye. “My good friend, Ur. The only true friend I ever had. He left me to go into that big bastard up there.” He nodded up at the platform where Stavros’s supine form could be seen, close to the edge. “He tried to get into him, anyway, but he couldn’t. Too many good emotions in the way, I suppose, from that damn pink plasma. I begged him to come back, tried to reel him back in, but he wouldn’t listen. He wanted so badly to get away, you see…”

“You’re better off without the demon, Two,” Six said steadily. “It was driving you mad.”

“Better off without him, you say?”

As he spoke, he idly swung Charlotte back and forth in a slow arc, as though she was some kind of pendulum. She was getting dizzier and dizzier as the black, bottomless pit flashed beneath her.

The Pit and the Pendulum, she thought sickly. Oh my God, he’s going to drop me. Drop me or lose his own hold and we’ll both fall and he won’t care because he’s crazy—freaking crazy…

“Better off without my one and only friend,” she heard Two say again. “Well maybe you’d be better off without this little one.”

As he spoke, his fingers began to loosen around her ankle. Charlie was on an upward swing and just as she reached the arc, Six shoved Stav’s big body off the platform, right into her path.

“Grab him!” he shouted as Stav’s dangling body jerked to a halt.

Feeling like a trapeze artist, and not a very good one at that, Charlie made a wild snatch for Stavros’s legs. She latched onto him just as Two’s bony hand let go of her ankle.

With a muffled shriek she gripped Stav even harder and held on tight. Then she felt him jerk and there was the sound of coughing which seemed to shake her whole body.

“Stavros?” She wanted to look up at him but she was too busy hanging onto his legs upside down for dear life.

“Hold tight!” she heard Six shout and then he was hauling Stavros up onto the platform with her clinging to him tightly.

As soon as they were back on solid ground, she turned eagerly and looked into her lover’s face.

“Stav? Stavros?” She slapped him lightly on the cheeks and he coughed again and opened his eyes.

“What in the…Seven Hells?” he muttered groggily. “Where am I? An’ why do my arms feel half pulled…out of their sockets?”

Charlie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Stav? Oh my God, Stav—you’re back! Your back!”

“Didn’t know I was away.” He blinked his eyes, frowning at her. “Can you untie my wrists? They hurt and I can’t hold you while I am tied down.”

“We will take care of that right now,” Six said. Grasping Two by the wrist, he drew the defeated Dark Kindred leader up until he was eye level, dangling from Six’s big hand. “Where are the keys to the manacles?” he growled at the other male.

“Here they are.” Reaching down with his free hand, Two pulled something out of his pocket. But instead of keys, he came out with a small, snub-nosed weapon which he leveled at Six. “Well, well—not the keys after all,” he said, grinning broadly. “But very handy, just the same. How would you like to be hit with a shocker?”

Six didn’t appear disturbed. “Drop the weapon, Two,” he said, frowning. “Drop it now or I drop you.”

“Go on and drop me then—see if I care. Or maybe I’ll save you the trouble.”

With a suddenly twist of his wrist, he slid out of Six’s grasp and dropped, disappearing silently into the black void.

Charlie opened her mouth to scream or gasp—she didn’t know which—but the sound never left her lips. Instead there was a loud flapping sound which echoed in the vast, shadowy cavern. Then Two appeared again but this time he seemed to have grown a huge pair of black, leathery wings. They flapped in the darkness, holding him aloft as he grinned and let out a high, screaming, crazy laugh that set her teeth on edge.

No, they’re not wings, she thought, staring at him. They’re that black leather trench coat he always wears. But how in the hell did he make it fly?

“How do you like my latest enhancement, Six?” Two called, grinning that awful grin full of gray, spit-slick metal teeth. “Subtle, no? You’d never guess it just to see me that I can fly.”

Six had gotten a weapon from somewhere—possible off one of the guards earlier—and he was holding on Two as he hovered in mid air.

“Fly away, Two,” he growled. “Or I swear by the Goddess I’ll make you pay.”

“Oh, there will be payment, my dear Six. Payment in abundance,” he snapped, still hovering there in mid-air. “But I will be the one dishing it out.”

“I have had enough of this.” Six aimed a blast of blue energy at the other male who barely ducked out of the way in time.

“Ha!” The near miss seemed to delight Two. “Keep trying Six but it will do you no good—you can’t kill me, none of you can!”

“What makes you so sure?” Six growled. “Did you get an invulnerability enhancement?”

“Hardly.” Two laughed again. “Do you remember, my dear Six, about how all of you were blathering on and on about that stupid prophesy about the Heart of Love and ‘Cursed to find an early grave’ and all that? Well, I have a prophesy of my own—one given to me by an old female on Belis Six who claimed to be a witch.”

“A what?” Six frowned. “Now I know you have gone mad.”

“Not at all, not at all—the witch had a very good reputation for accuracy—I checked her out thoroughly before I killed her,” Two said conversationally. “She said this to me—

‘ No Kindred shall kill you

Though you spill rivers of their blood

The one who is your doom

Comes from desert and from flood.

A free-born male

Too proud to bend his knee

Enslaved of his own will

Against his will set free.’

He cocked his head to one side. “Now what do you think that means? I think it means that no such male exists—therefore none can kill me, especially not you, Six, no matter how much you may want to.”

“I think it means you’re a fool,” Six growled. “One who’s about to die no matter what that prophesy said.” He leveled his weapon at the hovering Two who gave a crazy laugh and suddenly shot upwards. Soon he was out of sight somewhere among the ruined clusters of the Collective.

“What in the Seven Hells is going on?” Stavros muttered weakly. “Is this another dream? Why could he fly?”

“Enhancements,” Six said shortly. “Wings aren’t a common one but they aren’t that rare. Trust Two to be ready for anything.”

“Speaking of being ready, what are we going to do if he comes back?” Charlie asked nervously. “And how are you going to get Stav out of those damn handcuffs?”

“Like this.” Six flexed his left hand which appeared to be made of flexible silver metal. “Two isn’t the only one with enhancements.”

“Oh…good,” Stav muttered. Then his eyes rolled up and his head fell back against the metal platform.

Charlie checked him hurriedly. “He’s still breathing but his pulse is weak and thready,” she told Six, who was currently shredding the metal manacles with his silver hand.

“That surge of energy that came from the power net when it burned was no laughing matter,” Six said grimly, finishing with the first cuff. “He may not be out of the forest yet as they say on your world.”

“Out of the woods, you mean,” Charlie said distractedly. “What set the net on fire anyway? And why did the plan work at all? I thought the emotions Stav’s Mark absorbed weren’t strong enough to set it off.”

“Something happened when Two touched him,” Six said, getting the second cuff off with quick, efficient motions. “If I had to guess I would say it was the pure evil of Ur, the demon, trying to invade Stavros while he was still charged with the positive energy of the Heart of Love.”

“Like a chemical reaction.” Charlie stood back as Six threw the other male over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. She looked at the smoldering lump of blackness in the center of the charred net and shivered. It smelled horrible—like sulfur and burned flesh. “So the prophesy was right after all,” she concluded.

“It was given by the Goddess,” Six said shortly. “Or rather, she foretold that I would remember it. I have not known of her very long but so far she seems extremely accurate in all she says.”

“The Goddess, huh?” Charlie wasn’t sure what to think of that. Her parents had never really bothered to take her to Sunday School as a kid though she had gone one summer to Vacation Bible school at the local Baptist church—mostly to get her and Missy out of her mom’s hair.

“She has compassion too, on those who love and care for the ones she sends to them.” Six cast her a look as he heaved to his feet with Stav’s limp form draped over one broad shoulder. “May I suggest that you say a prayer to her yourself for your male’s well being.”

Charlie bit her lip. “I’ll think about it. Right now, let’s just get him back to the Mother Ship and Commander Sylvan—he’s a doctor, right?”

“He is. Perhaps he can help Stavros.” But Six didn’t sound very hopeful. “You are right, we need to get him back as quickly as possible.”

He turned carefully and started the long, precarious walk over the metal bridge back to the lip of the chasm where Mei-Li waited alone. All of the Dark Kindred warriors were gone—presumably to go have a drink together in happier surroundings, Charlie thought dryly.

She couldn’t help being worried as she watched Stav’s head bounce limply, his long hair fluttering almost to Six’s heels as he carried the other Kindred across the chasm. Stav had come back from the dead—literally. Didn’t that mean that he was okay now? Didn’t it mean everything would be all right?

Please, she thought, uncertain who she was thinking (or praying?) to. Please, just let him be okay. Because I love him. I know it now—I was a fool not to see it before but I love him, I do. So please let him be okay!

Chapter Thirty-five

“How do you feel?” Commander Sylvan asked, running the cardiac monitor over the front of Stav’s bare chest.

“Better now that I have had a shower and a rest.” Stav sighed deeply. “My Mark feels strange…a bit itchy.” He rubbed his broad, bare shoulders against the pillows he was propped up on restlessly. “But other than that, I’m just tired.”

“Well, that is to be expected. From what I understand, you experienced an immense bio-electrical surge when you brought down the Collective.” Sylvan continued to scan him with the small handheld monitor.

“I didn’t bring it down,” Stavros protested. “It was the positive emotion stored in my Mark mixing with the negative emotion from the demon, Ur. At least—I think that was what happened to cause the overload.”

“That seems to be Six’s theory as well,” Sylvan remarked. “So Ur is truly gone now? Commander Terex will be most gratified—he has not been the same since he learned he was inhabited by a demon for so long.”

“It’s dead all right.” Stav grimaced, remembering the burning, screaming black blob twisted in the flaming energy net. “I just wish I could say the same for Two. But Six tells me he escaped.”

“He did, unfortunately. But now that the Dark Kindred forces are all disbanded and disorganized I doubt he’ll bother us any more,” Sylvan said. “Six thinks the Enhanced warriors had just undergone a massive upgrade of their emotion damping implants—they were all tied directly to the will of the Collective. When you destroyed it, the tie was cut and they were free to do as they wished for the first time in their lives. Lucky for us, they didn’t wish to spend their lives in a senseless war for a planet they didn’t even care about.”

“So Earth is safe.” The thought gave Stav a great deal of satisfaction—though he would have had more if he had known how Charlotte felt about it. But he hadn’t heard from her since he had woken up alone in a bed in the Med Station on the Mother Ship.

“The Earth is safe. What’s more, the leaders of the Earth now see that we want nothing but their good.” Sylvan smiled. “They saw our warriors fighting alongside their own troops to fend off the Dark Kindred. They are calling for a vote but I believe it is a foregone conclusion that we will be able to call brides from their world again.”

There was only one bride Stav wished he could call but he knew he couldn’t. Especially when he saw the grim look on Commander Sylvan’s face as he read the results of the cardiac scan.

“Tell me the truth,” he said abruptly, cutting the small talk. “What does it say? How long do I have?”

Sylvan sighed, looking troubled.

“I won’t lie to you, Stavros—the results aren’t good. The power surge you experienced stressed your heart to the limit and beyond. In fact, I understand you arrested both on Zeaga Four and twice more on the way home.”

“I did?” Stav frowned. “I didn’t know that.”

“You did.” Sylvan nodded gravely. “Charlotte and Six used a human technique called CPR to bring you back the first two times. The third time, Six had to use his enhanced hand to shock your heart back to a normal rhythm. That put even more strain on your cardiac muscle but at least it brought you back.”

Stav shook his head. “So you’re saying I actually died? Not once but three times?”

“You did.” Sylvan nodded.

“But…aren’t we supposed to see the bright lights of the last true home and the Goddess waving for us to join her?” Stav asked, frowning. “I didn’t see any of that. Or if I did, I don’t remember it.”

“Perhaps it simply wasn’t your time yet,” Sylvan said gently. “The Goddess takes her children when she deems them ready and not before.”

Stav frowned at him.

“And what are you telling me now—that I had better get ready? That she is coming for me sooner rather than later?”

Sylvan sighed. “I had hoped after some recovery time your heart might ‘bounce back’ as the humans say. But, well…”

“Well?” Stav prompted impatiently.

“It’s not.” The other male ran his fingers through his short, spiky blond hair. “In fact, the scan shows the results of the heart of a very aged male—one nearly triple your age. One that cannot…” He sighed again. “One that cannot keep going for much longer.”

“How long?” Stav asked harshly. “Just tell me—I need to know.”

“Maybe as much as a solar year…maybe as little as a few months. You won’t be in pain but you may get tired more often. And one day your heart will simply stop. I’m sorry.” Sylvan shook his head, looking deeply troubled. “You saved us all. I wish I had better news. I wish I could give you a new heart—do a transplant as the humans do. But as you know, Kindred organs are incompatible with any other Kindred so it is impossible.”

“I know you can’t give me a new heart,” Stavros said roughly. “You’re a healer not a miracle worker. Please believe me, Commander Sylvan—I don’t blame you.”

“Maybe I blame myself.” Sylvan sighed and ran a hand over his face. “We shouldn’t have sent you out to do this mission. I should have known it was too dangerous—too deadly.”

“And if not me, then who?” Stav demanded. “I was the only Sin Eater available—the only one who could do it. And I was glad to be of service. Glad to save the home world of the female I—” He broke off abruptly. “Glad to save Charlotte’s planet,” he finished at last.

“She stayed by you for the entire first forty-eight hours you were back, you know,” Sylvan said gently. “She was at your bedside night and day—she slept with her head on the foot of your bed and wouldn’t leave.”

“She was?” This was news to Stav. All he knew was that he had woken up alone that morning and hadn’t seen anyone he knew but Sylvan since.

“She was,” Commander Sylvan confirmed. “I finally sent her to the guest quarters to sleep in the early hours this morning. She was nearing exhaustion and I knew she would want to be fresh when you were awake and ready to speak to her.”

“Oh, well that’s…I did not know that.” Inside his chest, Stav’s heart clenched like a fist.

Like a weak fist, whispered a derisive little voice in his head. What does it matter if she stayed by your side—she probably only did it out of pity and gratitude. She hates your kind, remember? All Kindred are the enemy to her after what happened to her sister. And even if she didn’t hate you, if she suddenly came to you and said she returned your feelings and wanted you to bond her, what could you do? Nothing—absolutely nothing. It would be unethical to tie a female to you when you have so little time left. Six months to a year if you’re lucky. What kind of a relationship would that be? A short one, that’s what! One that would leave her wounded and broken when your heart finally stopped. One that—

A sharp rapping on the door of the medical suite interrupted his thoughts.

“I’ll get it,” Sylvan offered. He crossed to the door and opened it to reveal Charlotte dressed in a deep green dress that tied on one side. She was holding a bunch of Earth flowers he didn’t know the name of and seemed to be wiping her eyes.

“Hi—can Stav have company now?” she asked hopefully, looking at Commander Sylvan.

“I think it should be all right.” Sylvan smiled briefly. “Come in, Charlotte. But are you all right? Your eyes seem to be watering.”

“I’m fine,” she said a little too brightly. “Just these flowers—I think there’s something in them I’m allergic to.”

“Shall I take them and find a container with water?” Sylvan asked. “Sophia, my mate, has taught me all about the care of Earth flowers.”

“Sure, thanks.” She gave them to Sylvan distractedly.

“Then I will leave you two alone.” Sylvan closed the door discretely but Charlotte hardly seemed to notice. All her attention was on Stavros.

“So, how are you doing?”

“Just fine.” He sat up straighter in bed, trying to look more robust. “My Mark is bothering me some but other than that…”

“Oh, what’s wrong with it?” Charlotte came to his bedside quickly. “Let me see—are you itchy? Need your back scratched?” She motioned for him to lean forward.

As always, it moved him deeply that she was willing to lay hands on a part of him no other female would touch.

“It’s all right, you don’t need to bother yourself,” he said roughly, though he leaned forward as he spoke so she could see.

“Hmm…” Charlotte frowned as she ran her hands lightly over his bare back. Her soft touch sent prickles of sensation up and down his spine and Stav felt his shaft stiffen in the black satin sleep trousers he wore. Looking at her, he was suddenly aware of how low cut her green dress was. The v-shaped neck showed the creamy tops of her breasts and the silky material clung to her curves, outlining her broad hips and luscious ass.

Have to stop thinking of her this way. What’s wrong with you?

Abruptly he pulled his eyes away and tried to focus on something across the room instead. If only she would stop touching him—her soft, cool fingers running up and down his back were only making things worse!

“It looks…strange,” she said, breaking his train of thought. “Your Mark, I mean. It’s kind of…faded somehow. It’s lost all its rainbow colors and it’s not moving anymore. It looks just like any old black tattoo now. What does that mean?”

Stav shrugged. “I have no idea. I doubt anyone would but I suppose I could ask Commander Sylvan to come back and have a look at it.”

“Maybe later.” Charlotte drew back, letting one hand rest casually on his bare shoulder. “Before that, though, there’s something I need to do.” She had a determined look on her face.

“What?” Stav asked. But he had barely gotten the question out before she was leaning towards him.

Her warm, feminine scent was all around him and he could feel the silky brush of her blonde hair against the side of his face. Stav wanted more than anything to take her sweet, lush mouth with his own. But at the last minute he turned his head to one side, so that her kiss fell on his cheek rather than his lips.

Charlotte drew back, frowning.

“Why did you do that?”

“Why did you?” Stav countered, frowning. “Why try to kiss me now after all that’s happened? Now that I know how you feel about my kind?”

“Are you still worried about that?” Charlotte sighed and settled herself on the side of his bed, much closer than was strictly comfortable.

Gods, she smells so sweet! Stavros wished he could draw her into his lap but he made himself sit still and not touch her.

“Worried about the way your sister was driven to suicide by two of my kind?” he asked stiffly. “And the way it made you hate all Kindred afterwards? Yes, it does worry me.”

“I don’t hate all Kindred. Not anymore.” Charlotte sighed. “Look, I know it’s hard to believe, but going through it all again when we were in the Temple of Regrets was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.”

“How so?” Stav couldn’t help remembering the awful scene—the tears she had shed as she begged her sister not to die, not to be dead. How could going through that awful experience twice be a good thing?

“It sort of…gave me a new perspective.” Charlotte looked thoughtful. “I realized I was angry at the wrong people. I was blaming the Kindred and blaming myself because I couldn’t let myself be angry at Missy.” She sighed and looked down at her hands. “She was always the timid one—always afraid of her shadow.”

“Was she?” It was hard to imagine the bold, forthright Charlotte having such a timid sister.

Charlotte nodded.

“I loved her so much but there’s no denying it. She thought she was taking the easy way out and she was—for her. But she left me behind with a crappy home situation—an abusive mom and a distant dad. She abandoned me because she was too afraid to face the future.” Charlotte raised her chin. “I’m angry with her for that. I love her—I will always love her—but I have a right to be angry. Suicide is a very selfish act—probably the most selfish thing anyone can do.” She reached down and entwined her fingers with his. “It’s Missy I’m mad at—not you,” she said quietly.

“Charlotte…” Stav didn’t know what to say. His head was full but no words came. She doesn’t hate my kind…she doesn’t hate me! If that was true, there might be a chance…His heart seemed to skip a beat and just like that, his hopes came crashing down. There was no chance—none. Even if she didn’t hate him—even if she loved him as he loved her—he couldn’t tie her to him. Not when he had less than a year to live.

“Stav?” She was looking at him, her heart in her big, brown eyes. Gods, she was so lovely it hurt to look at her!

He forced himself to look away and take back his hand.

“I am glad you finally came to terms with your sister’s death,” he said formally, coldly. “It is good to know that you don’t hate my people anymore—there are many brave warriors who would…who would care deeply for you. Maybe in time…” But he couldn’t go on—the words stuck in his throat.

“I already have someone who cares deeply for me,” Charlotte murmured, scooting closer. She leaned towards him and the front of her dress gaped open, showing more than the creamy tops of her breasts. Looking down, Stav saw she had on some kind of lacy undergarment that was black with little red flowers embroidered on it. It was so thin he was certain he would be able to see the tight pink points of her nipples through the material if she just leaned a little more forward…

No! He dragged his eyes away forcibly and sat back, away from her.

“I am afraid…” He cleared his throat. “Afraid you have the wrong idea about how I feel for you.”

“No, I don’t—I know I don’t.” Charlotte lifted her chin, getting that stubborn look in her eyes. “You told me you loved me when we were…” her cheeks got red but she made herself go on. “When we were splitting the pillar back at J’lorgan’s Mind.”

Stavros looked away. “Much has changed since then.”

“What? You mean since you found out you only have…only have a year to live?” Her voice sounded choked for a moment and when Stav turned back to her, her eyes were suspiciously bright.

“You know? How?”

“How do you think? I was eavesdropping outside the door while Commander Sylvan was talking to you. I…” She bit her lip. “I didn’t mean to at first but when I heard what he was saying, well…I couldn’t stop listening.”

“So now you know,” Stav said bitterly. “You know why I can’t return your affection.”

“My love.” Charlotte corrected him with a frown. “I’ve been a fool from the minute I met you, Stav. I didn’t think I could care for you or that you really cared for me. It took almost losing you to open my eyes to the truth.” She leaned forward and took his face between her small, cool hands. “I love you, you big, stupid Kindred and nothing you can do or say will change that,” she said, looking him in the eyes.

Stav’s heart thumped hard in his chest and he wanted badly to kiss her. To crush her to him and take her mouth with his, to say that he loved her too—that he never wanted to be without her. But that wouldn’t be right. Wouldn’t be fair.

“I’m sorry,” he said drawing away from her touch, though it was the hardest thing he’d ever done. “But I can’t…can’t return your love. I don’t have much time left—maybe just a few solar months…”

“So you’d rather spend them moping around here in a hospital bed than with me?” There was a dangerous glint in Charlotte’s eyes as she spoke. “And before you answer, you’d better think long and hard, buddy. You’re on thin ice here—very thin ice.”

“Of course I want to spend my last few months or year or however long I have left with you!” Stavros said in a low, tense voice. “But the fact is, I can’t. It would not be fair to you to start a relationship that would inevitably end in tragedy. It would be subjecting you to what happened to your sister all over again.”

“No, it would be giving me the best six months of my life,” Charlotte said quietly. “Look, I’m going into this with my eyes open, Stav. Six months isn’t much. But it’s a hell of a lot better than nothing. If that’s all I can have with the guy I love, then I’ll take it.”

“I can’t.” He crossed his arms over his chest, shutting her out as best he could. “I can’t bond you to me—not for such a short period. It wouldn’t be right or fair. I won’t do it.”

For a moment he thought Charlotte was going to lose her temper. She was clenching her little hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms so hard he could feel the sharp pain of it in his own hands. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and seemed to force herself to relax.

“Okay,” she said at last, opening her eyes again. “If we can’t have a romantic relationship, can we at least be friends?”

“Friends…of course.” The words sounded hollow in his ears but he told himself that he was doing the right thing. He tried to smile. “I’d like that—friends.”

“Good. And friends help each other out, right?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well…yes.” He frowned, uncertain of where this was going. “Why, do you have a problem I can help you with?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

To his surprise, she hopped off the bed and went over to the door of his room. With a quick snick of the lock, she secured the door and then came back and sat facing him on the bed.

“There. Now we won’t be bothered while you help me.”

“While I help you what, Charlotte?” he asked warily. “What do you want?”

“Well…I have all these little scratches—I think I got it in the Hall of the Collective during all the craziness after the power net caught on fire. And for some reason they just won’t heal.” She frowned.

“Oh? Was that while you were trying to revive me?” Stav raised an eyebrow at her.

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Or maybe as I was being dragged off the edge of the platform by Two and nearly got dropped to my death.”

“Charlotte! Gods!” He took her hand in his. “I didn’t know—”

“It’s all right,” she said tartly. “You were a little too busy being dead to notice all the little details. But the point is, I hurt myself and I don’t know why but it won’t heal. Maybe because of the metal the platform was made of? I don’t know.”

“I don’t feel any pain coming from you,” he remarked.

“Well, it doesn’t hurt much but I’d rather not walk around all scratched up,” she said. “It doesn’t exactly look very nice. Can I show you?”

Her hand was hovering over the tie at the side of her dark green dress and Stav knew he ought to say no. But somehow he found himself nodding instead.

“Good. Thank you.” Charlotte untied her dress and spread it open, revealing the black lacy undergarments with little red roses embroidered along the edges. As Stav had guessed, he could see the ripe pink points of her nipples poking against the thin black material. She was wearing a tiny pair of black lacy panties that matched.

Though she was breathtakingly beautiful, Stav didn’t see a problem.

He looked up at her, frowning.

“Where are the scratches?”

“Well, that’s the thing…” She bit her lip. “They’re kind of in some awkward places. I mean, no place you haven’t already seen but still…” Her hands were hovering over the front clasp of the silky black top. “Do you mind?”

Stav’s mouth was suddenly dry. Did he mind looking at her bare breasts? You ought to mind! a guilty voice in his head proclaimed. But somehow he just found himself shaking his head.

“No, I…go on.”

“Thanks, Stav.” Charlotte smiled at him gratefully and then she was unfastening her top and pealing it apart, revealing the full mounds of her breasts. She pointed to the inner slopes which were marked with long red scratches that ran diagonally across her flesh almost to her nipples on either side. “See? I think it happened when Two dragged me off the platform.”

“Those look…painful.” Stav traced one of the scratches gently with his finger being careful not to touch the tight little bud of her nipple.

“They are in the shower. I just don’t know why they won’t heal—they’re really ugly.” She made a face.

“Nothing about you is ugly, Charlotte.” He placed a hand gently on her hip. “What do you want me to do?”

“Well, remember you told me that Blood Kindred could heal their mates with their essence? And that your body thought I was your mate?” Her cheeks were pink but she kept talking. “So I thought…maybe if you licked them…”

Stav cleared his throat.

“Well…”

“I mean, as one friend doing a favor for another,” she went on quickly. “That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

“I suppose not. It’s not as if I would be licking you for any purpose other than healing.” He coughed. “I suppose we could try it though I don’t guarantee it would work.”

“If you’d just try that would be wonderful.” Before he knew it, Charlotte had shed her dress completely and was straddling him on the bed. “Is this all right?” she asked, raising her eyebrows as she thrust her bare breasts into his face.

“Certainly.” Stav’s mouth was suddenly dry again as he took her generous hips in his hands and pulled her closer. He couldn’t help remembering the other times he’d licked her…and how much lower he’d been licking. Beneath the thin black panties he could see the slit of her pussy which was spread wide as she straddled him. The little pink bud of her clit was peeping out from between her pussy lips, as though begging for attention. Gods, he could smell her warm feminine, secret scent too! His cock hardened and he was glad she was far enough up not to feel it press against her.

Trying to push his lust to one side, he bent his head and began licking the inner slopes of her breats in long, slow strokes from top to bottom. Her skin was salty and warm and perfect—he could feel his fangs elongating, throbbing and begging to bite but he ignored the urge grimly and went on licking.

Charlotte sighed and wound her fingers through his hair, sending shivers through him as he stroked him in just the right way.

“That’s right,” she moaned breathlessly. “God, that really tingles. I think it’s working, Stav—do you?”

He pulled back and looked. The scratches weren’t as red as they had been but they were still noticeable. He also noticed that her nipples had gotten much tighter and more erect, as though they were begging to be sucked. But he tried to keep his voice even and steady as he answered.

“They’re fading some,” he reported, frowning. “But they’re still there.”

Charlotte looked down at herself.

“These aren’t too bad,” she said, nodding to the curves of her breasts. “But what about this one?” She pointed to one long red scratch that ran right across her areola directly beside her left nipple. “Could you pay special attention to that one, Stav?” she begged softly. “It really stings.”

To be honest, he didn’t feel much stinging pain coming from her—though he was beginning to feel her pleasure as he licked her. Shouldn’t do this, he told himself. It’s too close to her nipple. But how else was she going to heal? He couldn’t just leave her wounded—could he?

“All right,” he said, brining her close again. “Let me see what I can do…”

Pulling her down so that her full breast was right in front of his face, he dragged the flat of his tongue over the soft mound, making sure to include her areola as well. Of course, he couldn’t help getting her nipple too and he felt the sharp little bolt of pleasure that went through her as her caressed the hard little nub with his tongue.

“Oh, Stav,” she moaned, pressing closer. “Again. And I think it would help if you…you know, sucked it into your mouth. The hurt part, I mean.”

He drew back, frowning. “It’s too close to your nipple to suck—I’d wind up sucking that too.”

“Well…” She bit her lip. “I don’t mind if you don’t. I mean, sometimes friends have to get close to help each other. I understand if you can’t help it and you suck my nipple a little while you’re healing me.”

“Gods…” Stav groaned softly. “I shouldn’t…”

“But Stav, how else am I going to be healed?” she asked innocently, echoing his question to himself earlier. “It’s been days since we got back to the Mother Ship and these scratches just aren’t healing on their own. I don’t want to be scarred for life!”

“No—no of course not. We can’t have that. Very well…” He looked up at her. “I’ll suck on the sore spot some and try to heal you. As long as you agree not to mind if I accidentally suck your nipple too.”

“I don’t mind,” she murmured again. Pressing forward, she rubbed her nipple against his lips. “Go on, Stav—do it. Do whatever you have to—just help me feel better. Please?”

He could deny her nothing. With a low groan of need, he opened his mouth and sucked as much of her breast between his lips as he could. He felt her pleasure as the sharp points of his fangs bracketed her tight peak and it made him want to suck harder, to send those sparks of pleasure from the sensitive tips of her breasts to the hot, needy spot between her thighs.

As he thought it, he felt Charlotte settle down against him in just the right place. Her pussy lips parted and he felt her warm wetness cradling the length of his shaft right through the thin little panties she wore as well as his sleep trousers.

“The other one’s hurt too,” she gasped, when he finally pulled back, letting her wet, swollen nipple slide from between his lips.

“All right but I think…maybe we should change positions.” Stav shifted uncomfortably. Gods, he shouldn’t take such pleasure in the feeling of her pressed against his shaft but he couldn’t help it!

“Oh!” Charlotte looked down between their legs. “Oh, no—I’m getting your trousers all wet!” she exclaimed, raising up a little to show the crotch of her panties.

Stavros had to swallow hard when he saw how wet the thin black fabric of her little undergarments had become. They were drenched with her juices and clinging transparently to her plump pussy lips which were spread wide from rubbing against his hard shaft.

But it was his own trousers that Charlotte seemed concerned about.

“Just look at that!” she exclaimed, pointing to the wet spot which had formed in the silky black fabric over the hard ridge of his cock. “I’m ruining them.”

“I do not think it will be a problem,” Stav protested hoarsely. “We can continue if you want me to heal the scratches on your other breast.”

“I do but I don’t want to ruin your clothes. Here—I have an idea. What if we just pulled these down?”

She was already tugging at the waistband of his sleep trousers as she spoke and before Stav could stop her, she had them down to his thighs and his hard shaft had sprung free.

“Charlotte,” he growled. “I do not think this ‘idea’ of yours is a very good one.”

“Why?” She blinked at him innocently. “This way your clothes won’t get ruined if I accidentally brush against you again.”

“Don’t you think this is a lot more than ‘friendly?” Stav demanded, raising an eyebrow at her. Not that he didn’t enjoy the feeling of her lush body against his but this was stressing his self control to the limit.

“Well, friendship is overrated,” Charlotte said, smiling a little. “But if it makes you feel better, I promise not to take off my panties.”

“Well…”

“Please, Stav? Look, even though your trousers are down, it’s not like we’ll be rubbing against each other without clothes on. Let me show you.”

Before he could stop her, Charlotte lowered herself down onto him again so that her open pussy lips cradled his hard shaft. Stav groaned at the erotic sight of her little cunt spreading open to receive him beneath the flimsy barrier of the transparent black panties.

“See?” she panted. “We’re not really touching much at all and this way you can heal me without me making a mess of your clothes.”

Stav knew he ought to say no—ought to push her off his lap and tell her to get out. Every minute he was getting closer to bonding her, to doing what he had sworn he would never do. And yet somehow, he couldn’t stop.

I’ll just heal her other breast and then I’ll send her away, he promised himself. And that’s all—I’m just going to heal her. Nothing else!

With this justification in mind, he pulled her forward with a low groan and sucked her other tight, sensitive peak into his mouth.

Charlotte moaned and writhed against him, pressing down hard and rubbing up and down the length of his aching cock as he nursed her tight peak.

“God, Stav,” she gasped, rolling her hips in a rhythm that made him half crazy with lust. “Feels so good when you heal me!”

It felt good to Stav too, and not just because he was thrusting up against her, joining the forbidden dance she had started. He could also feel her pleasure more strongly than ever before. The sharp little sparks that started in her wet inner pussy and sensitive clit as he rubbed against her… the throbbing need at her channel as she ached to be filled…the tight way her pussy entrance contracted as just the head of his cock slipped briefly into her…

Wait a minute!

He drew back quickly, letting her nipple slip from between his lips. Looking down he realized that his shaft had somehow slipped inside the wet material of her panties. The broad head of his cock was spearing into her entrance, almost completely inside her. He started to pull out but Charlotte stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Wait!” She was panting, her eyes half-lidded with need.

“What is it?” Stavros growled. “We should stop, Charlotte and you know it.”

“But the scratches aren’t healing—not completely,” she pointed out. “And if you have healing compounds in your essence, don’t you have them in your, uh, other fluids too?”

“What are you asking me?” he demanded. “If you’re asking me to bite you or you are wanting to bite me—” Gods, just the thought of sinking his fangs into her willing flesh while he filled her pussy below made him hard enough to fuck through a brick wall. But he knew he couldn’t do that.

“No biting,” she said quickly. “I was just thinking…” She shifted slightly. “Look this is hard on my thighs. Do you mind if I readjust?”

Before he could answer, she had settled more completely into him and the head and several inches of his cock had slipped into her tight little pussy. Stavros struggled not to groan at the erotic sight and the hot, wet feel of her inner cunt grasping him like a velvet glove.

“Charlotte…” he said warningly. He knew he ought to pull away, to pull out…but it felt so good he couldn’t help himself. He had just enough self control left to keep from thrusting his entire cock deep in her tight little pussy but not enough to make himself pull out.

“There, that’s better.” She sighed contentedly and smiled at him, as if he wasn’t halfway buried in her spread cunt. “Anyway, as I was saying, maybe you could try healing me from the inside out.”

Stavros raised eye eyebrow at her.

“Are you asking me to do what I think you’re asking me to do?”

“If you think I’m asking you to come inside me and heal me that way then yes, I am.” Charlotte gave him a naughty little grin. “C’mon, Stav—it’s not like you haven’t done it before. Remember splitting the pillar? God, you came inside me so hard. You really filled me up.”

Her hot words and the even hotter memories they invoked made him want to turn her over on her back, spread her thighs, and thrust hard and long into her tight little pussy. But somehow he restrained himself.

“I thought we were just supposed to be friends,” he growled. “Friends don’t usually fuck each other, Charlotte.”

“No, but friends help each other and you’d be helping me—you’d be healing me,” she protested, wriggling her hips a little so that another inch or two of his shaft slid into her tight channel. If she thought he didn’t notice, she was wrong, Stav thought dryly. She was incredibly wet and hot wrapped around his aching shaft and yet he knew he shouldn’t do what she was asking.

“Charlotte,” he said seriously. “If you’re trying to make me bond you to me…”

“You already said you didn’t want to do that,” she said hastily. “And no biting, either. You made that very clear. Just healing—just a little healing sex between friends. There’s nothing wrong with that, right? In fact, I have an idea…”

“Another idea?” Stav said dryly. “You’re full of them tonight.”

“No, but I’m nearly full of you.” She gave him another naughty smile and pressed a little closer so that almost all of his cock was thrust into her tight, wet pussy. Stavros couldn’t hold back a groan at the intense sensation of having her squeeze him so intimately. And the pleasure he felt coming from her as he stretched her pussy open with his cock was incredible and addictive. So it was with considerable disappointment that he watched when she suddenly withdrew, letting his cock slide out of her pussy, his shaft shiny and coated with her juices.

“What do you have in mind?” he asked though he really wanted to demand why she was stopping.

“Just this.” Rising, she turned with her back to him and got on her hands and knees. He nearly groaned aloud at the sweet sight of her luscious full hips and ass framing her hot wet pussy lips. “Go on, Stavros,” she murmured, looking over her shoulder at him. “Take me from behind. That way when I’m down here and you’re up there, you can’t reach me to bite me—even if you wanted to. You can just fuck me and fill me with your cum and heal me. Would that be okay?”

Hell no, it wouldn’t be okay. I shouldn’t even be considering it! he wanted to say. But her full hips were twitching seductively and as he watched, he could see her thighs spreading wider, showing him the slippery pink interior of her pussy. Looking down at his shaft, he could see he was still slippery with her honey. It was true what she said—they had done this before. It wasn’t like it was the first time.

Except this time she’s asking me to actually fuck her. Not just put my shaft in her and fill her with my seed, but fuck her.

The thought of being able to thrust into her again and again, to be close to her at least once more, even if only for a little while, was more than he could stand.

“All right,” he said hoarsely. “But no biting and no bonding.”

“Of course not.” Charlotte looked at him over her shoulder, all wide-eyed innocence. “It’s just one friend helping another.”

Stav got to his knees behind her and grasped her hips. “Just one friend helping another,” he repeated. Thought Gods, he wished this was more! His fangs were throbbing, the beast buried deep inside him whispering that he had to take her, had to bond her to him no matter what. It’s a damn good thing those scratches were old and I didn’t taste any of her blood, he thought to himself. If I had—if I’d tasted just a little bit I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from bonding her to me, no matter how wrong it is. Not when she’s offering herself so freely.

“C’mon, Stav—please!” She pressed back against him until the slippery pink of her inner pussy caressed the head of his cock. “Please,” she begged softly. “I need you in me now.”

Again, he could deny her nothing. With a low groan, he grabbed her hips and pressed the head of his shaft to her entrance once more. With a long, slow thrust he entered her, sinking into her tight pussy all the way to his aching balls.

* * * * *

Charlie gasped as she felt him bottom out inside her. God, it felt so good to have his thick cock stretching her to the limit again! Not that he wasn’t making her work for it. Why was he making it so hard? Clearly they belonged together and just as clearly they needed to be bonded. He’d wanted it badly back when they were at the resort together but now he seemed to feel like it would be wrong, just because of his medical condition.

Speaking of which, was she pushing him too hard, she wondered a bit anxiously. But Stavros didn’t show any signs of slowing or fatigue and it wasn’t like she’d suggested a super acrobatic position. They should be all right—even when she got him to bond her to him.

Because she definitely hadn’t given up on the idea. She’d spent some time with the other Kindred wives, as she thought of them, and had gotten a few tips and pointers, especially from Sophia who was bonded to Sylvan, another Blood Kindred. She intended to end this night bound to Stavros no matter what…even if she had to do it in a roundabout way.

“Are you ready?” he asked, grasping her hips. Charlie nodded and moaned as he pulled all the way out of her and thrust back in again. And all her thoughts were washed away in the pure pleasure of feeling him inside her, of feeling his thick cock spread her inner walls over and over again as he fucked her.

“God, Stav,” she moaned as she felt his fingers tighten on her hips. “Feels so good when you’re inside me…feels so good when you’re healing me…”

“Feels good to me too,” he growled and then she felt those big hands and long fingers sliding up under her body to palm her ripe breasts. She moaned softly as he twisted her nipples, tugging them as he pounded into her, thrusting hard and long and deep to fill her completely.

It felt so good, Charlie never wanted it to end. She just wanted to spread her thighs wider, tilt her pelvis up to him to let him getting deeper into her pussy, and open herself for his pounding thrusts until he filled her cunt full of his cum. But if they went on like this, he was going to come inside her in the wrong position and she couldn’t have that. This was just the starting point—the way she’d gotten him to agree to take her in the first place. It was time to switch things up.

“Stav,” she gasped, looking over her shoulder. “Can you…could you stop a minuet?”

She could tell the effort it took him but he was a true gentleman. With a low growl of frustration he ground to a halt and then pulled out of her slowly.

“What is it?” He was breathing hard and his voice was deep and animalistic. Good, he was close to losing control, just as he had the one and only time he had bitten her and tasted her blood. If she could just push him a little further…

“I’m sorry,” Charlie apologized, panting. “But this, uh, position is really hard on my thighs. Do you mind…could we switch back to the position we were in before?”

“Sitting, you mean?” He sat back against the headboard and waited as Charlie straddled him once more and took his thick cock in her hand. Teasingly, she rubbed the broad, plum-shaped head up and down the length of her wet, open pussy, moaning slightly when it bumped over her sensitive little clit.

“Just like this,” she whispered, nodding. “If you don’t mind letting me be on top.”

“It’s my very great pleasure to have you riding me,” Stav assured her in a deep, growling voice. “Love to look down and see my shaft sliding into your wet pussy.”

“Like this, you mean?” Biting her lip, Charlie slipped him lower, to the entrance of her body and they both watched as he slid home inside her once more. God, she could come just watching him thrust into her! From the look on the big Kindred’s face, he felt the same.

“Gods,” he groaned. “You’re so tight, falinda.”

His use of the sweet nickname gave her a little thrill. He was close…so close to taking her completely, to bonding her to him, she just knew it. If she could just push him…a little bit…harder.

Charlie let herself sink all the way down on his shaft until he bottomed out inside her with the head of his cock kissing the entrance to her womb. Then she put her arms around his neck and looked him in the eyes.

“I love you,” she whispered, meaning every word of it. “Love you so much, Stav.”

“Gods, Charlie…” he groaned, drawing her close and beginning to thrust into her again. “I love you too though I know I shouldn’t. It isn’t right…isn’t fair but I cannot help myself.”

“I don’t want you to help yourself,” Charlie assured him, thrusting back, riding him. She loved it when he used her regular nickname too—it meant he was even closer to losing control. Now she just had to push him over. She thought of biting him but even though she knew that would probably do the trick, she had promised not to so that was out. Besides, what she really wanted was for him to bite her. So she’d had to think of a way to make that happen.

On her left hand, she wore a special ring on the middle finger. A blooding ring, I think it’s called, Sophie had told her when she let Charlie borrow it. It’s for use when you’re…you know, making love. Kind of like saying—I can’t wait for you to bite me. It drives a Blood Kindred male wild so be careful—they can get a little crazy.

I want him a little crazy, Charlie thought as she raised the ring to her own neck and flicked a tiny switch with her thumb. In response, a tiny but extremely sharp spike a little larger than a needle popped out. I want him so crazy he acts on instinct and takes me—bonds me to him the way I know he wants to. The way he needs to.

With a sharp movement of her hand, she drew the sharp little spike across the sensitive skin at the side of her neck. There was a spark of pain which she knew Stavros felt because she heard the hiss of his indrawn breath. Then she withdrew her hand. The spike immediately disappeared back into the ring but that was all right—it had done its job. A thin trickle of blood was sliding down her neck.

Charlie pushed her hair to one side and offered her throat to Stavros as he thrust within her.

“Warrior,” she murmured. “I offer myself to you freely, blood, body, and soul. Take me.”

“Gods, Charlie…you shouldn’t,” he groaned but she could tell by the growl in his voice that he couldn’t help himself—he was going to take her now whether he thought it was morally right or not. Take her and bond her to him forever…or for at least however long as they had.

“Take me,” she whispered, pressing her wounded neck to his lips. “Bite me, Stavros. Bite me and fuck me and bond me.”

With a low growl, he sank his long, needle-sharp fangs deep in her throat and thrust his cock to the hilt inside her at the same time.

Charlie cried out, her back arching as the sharp pain gave way immediately to orgasmic pleasure. She could feel her pussy clenching tight around him as he fucked up into her, thrusting hard and deep, trying to get as close to the end of her channel as he could before he shot his seed. And it wouldn’t be long now—after so much foreplay both of them were more than ready. She could already feel his thick shaft swelling even thicker inside her and the hot, rippling bulges as the first hot spurts of his cum traveled the length of his cock to bathe the mouth of her womb with his seed.

But as the first hot gush filled her, she felt something else. She felt…was that Stav’s pleasure? The feeling of being held tight and snug someplace hot and wet… the delicious friction as he rubbed against her inner walls… the explosive release as he filled her with his essence and his seed at the same time…

How can I feel his pleasure too? she wondered deliriously. How is that even possible?

Then he bit deeper, injecting her with even more of his essence. A second round of multiple orgasms shot through her, making stars flash before her eyes and ridding her of all coherent thought as her pussy clenched around him.

“God, yes,” she moaned, pressing closer. “Come inside me, Stav. Make me yours.”

Mine! Always and forever mine! she heard him say even though his fangs were still buried in her neck, his mouth locked to her throat. Mine and I’ll never let you go, falinda!

I don’t want you to let me go, you big stupid Kindred! I love you! she thought back deliriously. Then she pressed even closer and held on tight, opening herself completely to him, giving herself utterly to the man she loved.

The pleasure seemed to go on forever but when it finally started to ebb, she noticed something—a strange itching between her shoulder blades. No, not her shoulder blades, she realized—the itching belonged to Stavros. But why could she feel it? And what was happening to him?

* * * * *

It took awhile to notice since he was preoccupied with both Charlotte’s pleasure and his own, but finally Stavros felt the horrible itching between his shoulder blades. The itching turned to a burning and then it began to spread from his back, to his neck and even his upper arms.

He pulled away from Charlotte, letting his fangs leave her flesh though he never wanted to let her go.

“What in the Seven Hells?” he growled, twisting his neck to try and see the problem.

“Here, let me see. You’re itching and burning, right?”

“Well…yes but how did you know?”

She shrugged. “I have no idea. How was I able to feel your pleasure as well as my own while we were making love? Isn’t it part of the bonding thing?”

“Not that I ever heard of,” Stav growled. “But what’s wrong with my back?”

“Turn around and let me see…”

He turned obligingly and heard Charlotte bite back a gasp.

“What? What is it?” he demanded. “Do I have some kind of rash?”

“No, it’s not a rash—it’s your Mark. Stav, it’s your Mark.”

“My Mark? What about it?” He frowned.

“It’s…it’s disappearing. It’s…look, I can’t explain. Is there a mirror in this room?”

“There’s a 3D viewer, I think. Come on.” Pulling on his sleep trousers, he got out of bed and went to the corner of the room where there was a small sink and hand sanitizing station. Mounted on the wall above it was a 3D viewer. Stav pushed the button to power it up and stepped in front. Then he pushed the rear-view control so he could look at his back.

After pulling his hair out of the way, he could see what Charlotte had been talking about. His Mark, which had been strangely faded before, was now disappearing entirely. The thick black lines were turning red, as though he had a sunburn, and then melting away entirely. The place the pain and itching had started, between his shoulder blades, was already clear. And, as he and Charlotte watched, the rest of the Mark from the back of his neck to his upper arms to his lower back, simply burned itself away and vanished, leaving nothing but clear, unblemished skin behind.

“Oh my God,” Charlotte whispered softly. “What just happened? Where did it go?”

Stav shook his head, mesmerized by the sight of his own back without the familiar black markings which had been with him since childhood.

“I don’t know. Once a Blood Kindred becomes Cursed—becomes a Sin Eater—he is Cursed for life. I have never heard of the parasite which causes our disease just…just disappearing.”

“Let me go get Sylvan and ask him—maybe he’ll know.” She was already starting for the door but Stavros caught her by the arm.

“Put on some clothes first, falinda,” he said dryly. “You’re my female now—I don’t want anyone else seeing your luscious body but me.”

Charlotte flushed with pleasure.

“So we really are bonded? And…you’re not mad at me?”

Stav sighed. “No, I am not angry with you. I am angry with myself—I should have been strong enough to resist you. Now you are bonded to a dying male.”

“I don’t care what your diagnosis is, I’ll take whatever time I can get with you,” Charlotte said firmly.

“But it will be so much harder for you when…when I go.” The words stuck in his throat but they had to be said.

“So much harder?” Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. “Harder than watching you die and reviving you three times? Give me some credit, Stav—I know the score. I already lost you more than once. It was awful. I was crying and praying…”

“Praying to whom?” he asked, frowning. Charlotte had never struck him as a religious person.

“To that Goddess of yours.” She threw up her hands. “I mean, I don’t know her—I don’t know anything about her. But I was desperate. You kept dying on me and I prayed to have you back—even for just a little while.” She gave him a small, crooked smile. “I don’t know if she heard me or not but it looks like my prayers were answered. We may not have much time but it’s good enough for me. We’ll make the most of the time we have.”

“Charlotte…” Her confession about praying for him touched Stavros deeply. “I am sorry,” he said softly. “I should have listened to you when you said you loved me no matter what.”

“Well, I was pretty pigheaded myself when you tried to tell me that you loved me back at the resort,” she said, smiling. “So I guess we’re even.”

Stav frowned. “How does your reluctance to realize I love you translate to you having the head of a domestic mammal?”

She laughed. “Oh, pigheaded? It’s just an expression—it means stubborn. And speaking of stubborn—you keep saying how you’re on your last legs but you didn’t do too badly just now.”

“Not too badly, huh?” Stav found himself smiling at her. “Is that all you can say after bonding sex?”

“I might say a lot more in a minute if you want to do it again.” She gave him a naughty smile right back. “And another thing, I—Ow!” Charlotte had put a hand on her hip but she drew it back quickly.

“What? What is it?” Stavros looked at her anxiously.

“Oh, this damn blooding ring! I must have flipped the switch by accident and it got me. See?” She pulled back her hand to show a small trickle of blood flowing down the outside of her hip.

Stavros knelt in front of her automatically to lick the small wound—to clean and heal her as any Blood Kindred would his mate. Then he realized something—he hadn’t felt her pain. Not even a little.

“Charlotte?” he said, looking up at her. “Would you do me a favor?”

“Well, sure, honey.” She gave him a smile that seemed to warm him through and through. “Anything.”

“Pinch yourself,” Stav said. “Or slap yourself—or just give yourself pain in some small way.”

“What?” Her smile changed to a frown. “I thought you weren’t mad at me. Why do you want me to hurt myself?”

“I can’t explain yet. Please, just do it.” He made a motion with one hand.

“Well, all right.” With a sigh, she used the blooding ring again, this time pricking the tip of her finger with it. “Ouch!”

“Gods!” Stav took her finger and sucked it into his mouth, healing it automatically. Then he rose and looked at her. “That hurt, right—when you pricked yourself?”

“Of course it hurt—a sharp stabbing pain. Why do you—?”

“I didn’t feel it.” He took her by the shoulders. “Do you understand? For the first time in over twenty-three cycles someone in my immediate vicinity had pain and I didn’t feel it!”

Charlotte put a hand to her mouth.

“Your Mark disappearing…do you think it has something to do with that?”

“I don’t know.” Stav grabbed her discarded dress and started helping her put it on. “But I’m going to find out. Hurry—we have to go see Commander Sylvan!”

Chapter Thirty-six

“Well, it’s the strangest case I’ve ever seen and I have to confess I have seen some very strange cases in my time practicing medicine here aboard the Mother Ship.” Commander Sylvan frowned and shook his head as he finished examining Stavros’s back. “Your Mark is completely gone and the scan shows there isn’t even the slightest trace of the parasite which causes it. I have never heard of this kind of spontaneous healing happening to a Sin Eater before.”

“Maybe it wasn’t completely spontaneous,” Stavros said thoughtfully. “I used my Mark to transport positive emotion—possibly stressing it when I did.”

“And then it mixed with the negative emotion from Ur,” Sylvan said thoughtfully. “When the demon tried to invade you. Stressing the parasites that caused it even further.”

“And then we finished it off when we bonded,” Charlie added. “The stress of all that intense emotion was too much and we killed the little bastards off.”

Commander Sylvan raised an eyebrow at her.

“You…the two of you are now bonded?”

“Well…” Charlie felt her cheeks getting hot. “Yes,” she confessed.

“Yes,” Stav echoed firmly, taking her hand in his. “Charlotte heard your diagnosis of my heart while you and I were talking earlier. And she took it into her head to make the most of the time I have left.”

“That’s right.” Charlie lifted her chin defiantly. “I don’t care if we only get six months or a year—that’s better than nothing.”

Sylvan looked thoughtful. “Speaking of your heart, let me just check something.” He pulled out the cardiac monitoring device and began running it slowly over Stav’s broad chest.

Charlie bit her lip, not wanting to see or hear the result. What if their lovemaking had caused Stav’s heart to deteriorate even further? What if she had cut his short remaining time in half? What if—

“Well, this is most odd.” Sylvan was frowning at his readout in a distracted way. “This cannot be right. Let me try again.”

“What can’t be right?” Charlie asked, feeling sick as he began to scan Stavros for a second time. “Oh God, please don’t tell me I made his heart worse when I tricked him into bonding with me!”

“She tricked you?” Sylvan raised an eyebrow at Stavros who smiled back.

“Only because I was too horse-headed to see the truth—that we belonged together.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know that phrase.” Sylvan frowned. “Horse-headed?”

“Perhaps I have it wrong. Was it cow-headed?” Stavros asked her. “I know it was some kind of domesticated mammal.”

“Pigheaded.” Charlie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “But look, farm animals aside doc, can you please tell us what the heart scan says?”

“Well…” Sylvan looked at it and frowned again. “I’m not at all sure this is accurate but according to this scan, Stavros’s heart is in much better shape than it was when I scanned him earlier. And I don’t just mean earlier before you were bonded—I mean earlier just now. If this is right, his cardiac muscle has made a ten percent improvement just in the time it took me to end one scan and start the next. If this is correct, it seems his heart is repairing itself almost right before our eyes.”

“What?” Stav’s eyes opened wide. “Can that be right? It must be a mistake!”

“There is no mistake, my son.”

The warm, strong, feminine voice filled the little room and made all of them instantly shut up and stop what they were doing.

“I…what?” Stavros looked up at the ceiling as though he could find the owner of the voice magically hovering there. Of course there was nothing there. But they had all heard the voice. “Who…who are you?”

“The Goddess…it’s the Goddess,” Charlie breathed.

“You are correct, daughter.”

“Oh, my!” Charlie put a hand to her chest. “All this time I’ve been praying to you and I didn’t even know if you were real but I just didn’t know what else to do.”

“I am real.” There was humor and warmth in the voice. “I simply exist on a different plane of existence than my mortal sons and daughters. But I still care for you, my children and I hear your prayers. I also reward sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice?” Stav asked.

“You were willing to lay down your life to save a people not even your own,” the Goddess said softly. “That level of self-sacrifice must be honored. The task you did—bearing the positive emotion and allowing yourself to be used as a catalyst with the demon’s negative emotion—killed the parasite which caused your Curse. And now I have healed the damage to your heart. You will live a long and fruitful life and you and Charlotte will see children and grandchildren of your own before you come to live with me in the Last True Home.”

“Oh, thank you!” Charlie looked up at the ceiling too, though she could see nothing there. “Thank you, Goddess!”

“You are welcome, daughter. Your faithfulness too, has been rewarded. If you had not insisted on bonding yourself to Stavros, despite your belief that he would not live long, the process that finished off his Curse could not have been completed. It was the love and emotion generated by your bonding that finally freed him completely and allowed me to heal his heart.”

“Truly you are good to your children, Goddess,” Sylvan said with quiet reverence and respect. “I think of you and thank you often when I hold my beloved mate and the children you have granted us.”

“Much has been given to you, Sylvan. And much will be expected,” the Goddess said. “You are the leader of your people now. Commander Terex is broken in mind and spirit. I want to heal him but I cannot…not yet. In the meantime, you must assume the mantel of leadership permanently. You are to be the new Chancellor of the Kindred High Council. ”

“I will do as you say, Goddess.” Sylvan bowed his head. “And now that the Dark Kindred are disbanded and Earth is allowing us to call brides again, I think we will get on better.”

“Do not be too quick to count your troubles over, Sylvan,” the Goddess counseled sternly. “It is true that the demon Ur is no more and the denizens of Zeaga Four are now free to feel and have emotions once more. But their leader, Two, is still a danger to you.”

“But he left. He, uh, flew away,” Charlie protested. “How can he possibly bother us now?”

“As to that, I am not at liberty to tell you everything. Knowing too much of the future is dangerous for your limited minds, my children,” the Goddess said. “However, know this—you will have to deal with him in time. But you will not be able to kill him yourselves.”

“We won’t?” Stav frowned. “But then how can we neutralize him as a threat?”

“A foretelling was given—both Six and Charlotte heard it,” the Goddess murmured. “You must examine it for answers. And now I must go—I can spend only limited time on this plane of existence.”

“Goodbye, Goddess,” Charlie called. “And thank you—thank you so much!”

“Use your time with your mate well, child. Love each other with all your hearts and beware the danger that still lurks. Sylvan, rule with wisdom and patience. And now…farewell.”

There was a deep silence in the room and then Charlie felt that the warm, feminine presence of the Goddess was gone.

“Wow…” She drew a deep breath. “That was…intense.”

“Amazing,” Stavros murmured, putting a hand to his broad chest. “I do not know what to think or what to do.”

“Do as the Goddess said,” Sylvan counseled. “Clearly she brought you together for a reason. Love each other well.”

“That won’t be a problem.” Charlie stepped over and pressed herself to Stavros’s side, winding her arms around him and breathing in his warm, spicy scent.

“But what she said about the Dark Kindred Commander—about Two—is still troubling,” Stav said, even as he hugged her tightly to him. “I didn’t know him very well but it seemed clear the time he spent with the demon inside him affected his sanity.”

“Affected his sanity? He was crazy, plain and simple,” Charlie said bluntly. “As my Grandma used to say, his elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top anymore. He was actually upset the demon left him.”

Sylvan frowned and shook his head.

“It’s very strange. I do not think he could have been completely sane to begin with and inviting that darkness into his soul can only have made his condition worse. But what is the foretelling the Goddess spoke of?”

Charlie frowned. “I can’t remember all of it—maybe Six can help you there. But I do know Two said a witch told him no Kindred could kill him.”

“I know it.” To her surprise, Stavros closed his eyes and recited.

“No Kindred shall kill you

Though you spill rivers of their blood

The one who is your doom

Comes from desert and from flood.

A free-born male

Too proud to bend his knee

Enslaved of his own will

Against his will set free.”

“Wow.” Charlie looked at him in wonder. “How did you remember all that? I thought you were out of it or mostly dead while Two was spouting off.”

He smiled. “I think it was one of the times I was alive. And I don’t know why but it’s burned into my memory—the image of Two flapping those huge black wings of his, hovering in midair and reciting his saying.” A shiver ran through his big body. “Gods, it’s not a pleasant memory!”

“It sure as hell isn’t.” Charlie pressed closer to him and held him tight. “But we have time to make some much nicer ones of our own right now. Lots of time.” She smiled at him and Stav smiled back, his eyes half-lidded with lust.

“Falina, have I told you how beautiful you are?”

“No.” Charlie snuggled closer. “But I’m ready and willing to listen.”

Sylvan, whom they had pretty well forgotten, cleared his throat.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Charlie felt her cheeks getting hot. “I just didn’t think—”

“About anything but your new mate. I understand—I’ve been there.” He smiled. “Bonding is a lifelong process in some ways but at the beginning, it’s very…intense.”

“That it is.” Stavros spoke to Commander Sylvan but his eyes were locked with Charlie’s.

“Well, I will leave the two of you alone.” A small smile was playing around Sylvan’s mouth. “To honor and obey the wishes of the Goddess. Just remember you’re still in the Med Station and there are sick people around you trying to recover. So…try to keep it down, all right?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Stavros was already kissing her neck, making it hard to think. Charlie meant to make a more coherent answer, but as she felt those long, dangerous fangs prick gently against the flesh of her throat, she couldn’t do a thing but moan.

With a smile, Sylvan shut the door with a quiet click and she and Stav were alone.

“I love you, Charlie,” she heard him send through the new mental link they shared.

I love you too. Now bite me!

He did. But the last thing she on her mind before pleasure stole her ability at any coherent thought was the strange foretelling that Stavros had somehow remembered.

A free-born male

Too proud to bend his knee

Enslaved of his own will

Against his will set free.

What kind of guy could it be describing? If he’s not a Kindred, then where is he from? And who would willingly choose to be a slave and not want to be set free?

Charlie had the feeling it would be awhile before they found the answers. But in the meantime, she was content to be with her man and love him as much as she could for the rest of their long and happy life together.

The End

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty -one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-three

Chapter Thirty-four

Chapter Thirty-five

Chapter Thirty-six

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty -one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-three

Chapter Thirty-four

Chapter Thirty-five

Chapter Thirty-six

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty -one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-three

Chapter Thirty-four

Chapter Thirty-five

Chapter Thirty-six